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PrologueLoke tagged alongside a caravan leaving Holom City in the morning to reach Bonam, a small town that was close to the Holom/Caax border. Most people in Holom were familiar with Loke from either her ushering in the New Year or other smaller rituals. Then there was the local population that was familiar with her personally, as they often would help her carry large stacks of books back to her small home in the south eastern part of the city. This caravan just as familiar with her and welcomed her warmly."Where are you going, Priestess? You're welcome to stay with us as far as you can.""Thank you. I'm just heading up to Bonam, but I appreciate the offer." Loke smiled at the group of what were probably local farmers."Ah. Bonam's a nice town. It used to get a lot of people from Caax coming to trade, since it's close to the border, but since Caax is hunting Biyeho, it hasn't been all that safe. But a few still trickle in from time to time. You should be careful not to cross the border, priestess."Loke nodded. "I've heard the situation isn’t good for Biyeho there recently, but is it really as bad as they say?"The man leading the caravan stopped the horses of his carriage and Loke stopped beside him. "They hang Biyeho in the town square as daily entertainment in Teo. If you value your life at all, don't leave Holom." He glared at Loke in silence for a moment before facing forward again and snapping his horses back into action.Loke frowned and rode silently beside the carriage with a heavy mind and a knot in her stomach. Everyone was telling her to stay out of Caax, but the more she heard about the situation, the more she felt the impulse to go. She was a high priestess, and that was enough of a reason to protect the people she represented.She bade the caravan farewell as she rode into Bonam and left them as they continued onward. It was quieter than the last time she was here, but it was still fairly lively. Like many villages and towns in Holom, there was specific lodging set aside for traveling priests and priestesses if they didn't have one of their own, but if there was a priest or priestess, they would often grant a visitor accommodation. Bonam was a growing town, but it still didn't have a resident priest. Loke had come to this town on a few requests for services and already knew where she could stay. It wasn't as nice as an inn would have been and it didn't have any amenities outside of it being a place to rest, but even that was generous enough. She spent the rest of the night cleaning the room since it hadn’t been occupied in some time. Once she was satisfied, she turned in.Loke was never a fan of taverns or pubs, especially at night, but it was always known as the best place to find someone for any job you had. In the middle of the day there was less of a chance of success, but it was also infinitely less intimidating and not a bad place to get something to eat. The first full day in Bonam, she found the nearest tavern essentially empty, but she was hungry and the waitress was quite friendly as she walked through the door."What can I get for you? You’re the priestess that comes by from time to time, right?”"That’s me. Whatever you have will be fine, thank you." Loke smiled at the friendly waitress. "I'm actually looking to hire someone, but it doesn't seem that anyone here could help me at the moment."The waitress laughed with slight embarrassment. "Yeah, it's not usually very busy this early. But what sort of job are you looking for? We get all sorts at night, I could ask around.""I need a guide and maybe a bodyguard to get me to Teo."The waitress's smile immediately fell and she excused herself to put in Loke's order. Loke sighed heavily, wondering if her endeavor was futile. After a short while, the waitress brought her a bowl of some sort of chowder and sat at the table across from her. "There are a few guys that come in every night, but I'm not sure they will want to take on that sorta thing. Caax isn't a great place for a lot of people and I'm pretty sure those guys are also believers, so they might not be all that excited about it, but I can still ask."Loke wasn't comfortable with the sudden lunch partner, but she listened carefully anyway. "That would be appreciated, thank you."The waitress looked at Loke for another moment with curiosity, but then got up and went back to wiping down tables out of boredom. Loke flipped through the large book she had brought along and slowly ate the chowder. Eventually, the crowd started to increase and she left an appropriate amount of taak on the table before leaving. It was barely crowded and already she was feeling tense from the crowd.By the third day, Loke was already considered a regular and a meeting was arranged with a few of the people the waitress had spoken to. She presented a single contract, for any of the three men to take, if they wanted it. They all were quite astonished at the amount she was offering and carefully read the details. One by one they refused, mostly centered on the details of having to not only go to Caax, but all the way to Teo. None of them wanted to risk their own lives as Biyeho and quickly turned her down, despite the large amount of taak she offered.Feeling rather dejected, Loke decided to spend the next day wandering about. She spent most of it thinking about what she really should do for her people. Another day passed and she decided to at least head back to Holom City and discuss matters with other priests. She had a little more of an understanding of the magnitude of the situation and how it was affecting some of the people of this town, at least, but she felt rather sour about it. She went back into the tavern for something to eat before heading out when the waitress excitedly approached her."Miss Loke! There's a man here that might be able to help you today. Should I get you your usual?" The waitress called across the room."Please." Loke looked around the pub and only saw only one other person and tentatively sat across from him. He probably wasn't local, as every other day she came in, it was always empty. He looked like he could at least hold his own as a bodyguard if she needed him to be. She decided to cut right to the core of what drove the others away before actually going into details. "Are you able to guide me into Caax and to Teo?""I could do that." The man was relieved she was straightforward with business matters. However, he couldn't quite shake the feeling of nostalgia when he looked at her."Is there something on my face?" Loke felt like he was staring a bit too intensely at her and it was making her uncomfortable.He shook his head. "No, it’s nothing. I heard you also need a bodyguard.""Could you protect me? I am not skilled in any sort of combat and I'm aware that there can be some dangerous animals and people in Caax." Especially since Caax was having fun killing off believers, she didn’t feel like she could easily blend with a strictly Tumben crowd."The animals wouldn't be a problem at all, and anyone stalking the roads for easy prey won't be too hard to handle." The few he encountered near his house didn't like the feeling of a shovel breaking their arms."Then..." Loke hesitated for a moment as she pulled out a piece of parchment from an oversized book. Do these terms seem adequate for you?"The man was curious about a book that size and what it could possibly contain, but he also noticed the parchment was high quality. As he read over the details, he realized the waitress wasn't properly conveying how lucrative this job actually was. "I feel like there's a catch somewhere to this.""There is the provision for extended services, depending on how the situation evolves,” Loke pointed lower on the page, “but you are able to back out at any time and will be paid for services rendered. Is this not a fair contract?"He shook his head. It seemed almost unfair in her direction. Getting her to Teo would be simple and he could easily make enough to get through the entire off season. "I don't see a problem with this."She produced writing implement as the waitress placed a mug of juice and a bowl of chowder beside her. "Then if you would, good sir, I, Loke Aumoe, wish to hire you to guide me to Teo and within the city while I conduct my business."He picked it up and carefully balanced it in his hand. It was lighter than anything else he'd used to write with. Her signature on the form was remarkably neat, as was all of the writing on the contract. He signed his name below hers as she looked on."Magnar Lunde... Interesting name. But I'm looking forward to having your company." She smiled as she placed the contract inside her book."Same to you, Miss Aumoe." Magnar’s eyes were again fixed on the book."Please, Loke is fine." She raised her mug tentatively, knowing this was something that was often done to celebrate things; at least, she'd sometimes seen it happen.Magnar picked up his own mug and lightly tapped hers with it, further sealing their arrangement. “To our adventure.” He watched her carefully blowing on the spoon to cool down her food and still couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her.Loke was never any good at small talk and didn't really pay him any mind as she flipped through her book while eating. She knew it was probably rude, but he wasn't saying anything and they weren't contracted to start until tomorrow. She wondered why he was actually still sitting there.The awkwardness was felt on the other side of the table as Magnar was confused about why she was suddenly ignoring the fact he was there and not even curious about anything. He couldn’t even read the writing in the book, so he already had quite a few suspicions about her. He understood this was a job, but usually the people that hired him wanted to at least converse. "So, Miss, er, Loke, why do you want to go to Teo?"Loke looked up with the spoon inches from her lips and an almost horrified expression on her face. She hoped he would have left by now and now that he was trying to actually have a conversation, she wasn't exactly sure what the standards were. "Me?""Yeah. You hired me and besides the waitress, we're the only two in here." He wondered if this was a bad idea after all."I'm looking for some people, but it's really a village just outside of Teo called Nampa."Magnar frowned. "Did you say Nampa?""Is something wrong?" Loke placed her spoon back into the bowl."Nampa is essentially a shell of itself. Most people either fled to unknown areas in the countryside or took their chances in Teo if they wanted to blend in to the city crowds. That is, if they weren't already killed for being Biyeho. What Biyeho they managed to capture are probably in prison in Teo, too. The few people left in the village are Tumben. You haven’t been outside Holom have you?"Loke stared into her half eaten bowl and found herself without much of an appetite. She heard things were bad for believers in Caax, but it sounded far worse than she envisioned it. She almost felt foolish for being so naïve about it. Still, she needed to push forward and sitting in Holom wasn't getting it done. She forced a smile of sorts and looked up. "Not for some time.” She took a deep breath before proclaiming, “then, we'll just have to see if we can find them in Teo." She went back to eating and ignoring Magnar.Magnar thought she was a little weird, but for the price tag, he could handle it for a few days. If they left early and rode hard enough, they could reach Teo in about a day. Then a few days of looking around if they had to, and one more day to return, then he would be set financially until next season. There wasn't any reason he should turn this down. And if she was actually insane, he could just turn her in for being a follower of Biyeho and that would be it. He had so many more questions for her, but given the terms of the contract, he thought it best to keep quiet for now. Instead, he rested his head on one hand and mostly watched her as she read. Chapter 1 – Teo
The overcast autumn weather matched the grim mood Loke was feeling as she and Magnar were trying to push through the dense crowd to reach the front of the city square. There were occasional cheers and a few people loudly wailing that would cut through the murmur of the gossiping populace. They heard about it in Nampa – the priest and priestess of the village were arrested and taken to Teo for a public execution. They hadn’t missed it but Loke was worried she wasn’t going to be able to do anything about it.“We’ll never get to the front at this rate. Doesn’t that map of yours have any better routes that we can take around all of these people?” Loke was getting impatient. If they didn’t reach the front soon, it would certainly be too late. She couldn't really tell how far back they were, but the noise made it sound like their destination couldn't be further away.“This was the shortest route. All the roads are filled with people, so no matter which way we go, we’ll get stuck. Just keep moving forward. We're almost there.”Magnar usually took just about any job he could when he couldn’t tend the fields, as long as it wasn't obviously illegal and didn’t contradict his morals. However, if the price offered was enough, he sometimes could bypass some hang ups he might have with the client and whatever they were up to. This season had been particularly bad and he didn’t really have much of anything to harvest for himself, let alone sell. He hadn’t pressed Loke into more information when she first came to him because of the hefty sum she dropped in his hands as a deposit with the condition that he not ask too many questions. Once they reached Nampa, it was obvious to him she was looking for someone important in the Biyeho faith and now they found themselves in a crowd hungry for their death.Loke frowned, but couldn’t see him behind her, but she could feel his hands on her shoulders as they tried to push through. “I don’t know how you can tell this is almost there.” He was taller than her, but not that much to see over a sea of people.“Even if we make it, I don’t know how you could even save them anyway.” Magnar quipped into her ear.“I don’t know. I don’t usually have to deal with too much direct confrontation, but if at all possible, I would like to save them.” Loke’s voice trailed at the end, somewhat aware that others could hear her, but not much caring about it.As a loud horn blew, the crowd started to quiet down to a few mumblings. Magnar was now at Loke’s side and they had about five or six rows before they reached the front, but people were packed tighter together and they had nowhere to push through as so many were maneuvering to get a better view.With the quieting of the crowd, the emcee of the event, which to Loke looked like a Tumben vicar, stood in front of two people atop the gallows and began to address the crowd. “Ladies and Gentlemen of Teo, what you see upon my gallows are heathens that do not believe in the truth! An actual pair of Biyeho faithful! They only wish for our destruction and want to rule over all of Itzam, eliminating us Tumben in the process! My brothers and sisters, please join with me in prayer so that their afterlife will be met with kindness and be merciful!”Loke knew their window was closing quickly and found that it was a little easier to maneuver as everyone was bowing their heads to pray but any movement she was trying to make was instantly stopped with Magnar’s hand pushing her head downwards.“What are you doing?” Loke yelled in a whisper through her teeth. “We’re so close now!”“If you move during a prayer vigil this large, you’ll stand out and will execute you too. Just trust me. You hired a guide; I’m trying to guide you.”Loke relaxed her neck to let it fall forward on her own, but her body was still tense. She did her best to mimic the movements around her and had to resign to the fact that he might be right. If they pushed through now, they’d surely be tomorrow’s spectacle. Her for sure, but while she wasn’t sure if he was Biyeho or just knowledgeable, if he helped her, he’d be hung regardless.After the prayer was over there was a huge rush from behind as everyone wanted to get closer for a better view. In the surge, Magnar lost sight of Loke and she got carried forward, her feet not even touching the ground. By the time she regained her footing and broke through to the front, it was too late. It felt like their bodies dropped as soon as she pushed through the front line and all she could do was stand frozen in place while the crowd cheered and filled in around her.Magnar eventually found her, standing frozen with tears streaming down her face. He pulled her hood up over her face and led her into a tight alleyway, away from the crowd. He held both of her shoulders and leaned down to stare into her eyes. He barely got any acknowledgement from her that he was even there.“Look, Loke, I’m sorry I couldn’t get you to them in time, but cities are dangerous for Biyeho. If they don’t convert to Tumben, they’ll be killed. I don’t know what your relationship with them was, but if you don’t want to lose your own head, then we should go someplace else, quickly."Loke never bothered to lift her hood and thankful that the rain had begun once again to hide some of her tears. Her eyes finally engaged with his as it registered that he was talking to her, but she just couldn’t press on. “Can I have a few minutes first? They were like family to me. I wouldn’t be who I am without them.”Magnar grunted, but turned his back and stood guard near the end of the alley so she could cry or whatever she needed to do. He now had a better idea who Loke was and it wasn’t like this event didn’t affect him too. He was also familiar with the victims, though he hadn’t seen them himself in a number of years. Any practicing Biyeho was generally aware of who their high priest or priestess of the region was.Leaning against the wall, Loke cried while staring up at the grey skies. The misty rain was cold and uncomfortable, but she would have to mourn later. She had far too many things on her mind and now that her mentors and surrogate parents were now no longer there to support her she would have to act on her own. Time seemed to be of the essence and she pushed down as much of the noise her mind was generating as she could and narrowed in on something she could possibly do in the immediate future.Wiping her eyes, she approached Magnar and tapped his arm. “Do you think you could find out what they will do with their bodies?”Magnar was starting to wonder if this was going to be more than borderline illegal and he should probably take his cut and leave, but he was finding himself more fascinated with what she might be plotting. “I’ll see what I can find out. But first, we’re going back to the inn. You stay put until I come back, okay? Given their rank, it’s likely they’re looking around here for anyone that might have ties to them so it’s too risky to stay in the square.”Loke nodded, but something about his words caught her attention. The man at the square never said who they were besides just being heretics. How did Magnar know they were a high rank? She wanted to ask him, but held back. If there was such a heightened sense of awareness, now would most certainly be the time to be cautious. After his return from asking about, she would have to explain more about who she actually was and gauge if she could continue to trust him. So far he had ample chances to turn her in with even a tiny suspicion, but so far he was still aiding her.Magnar led her through tight alleys - some that were barely big enough for them to shuffle through in order to avoid most of the lingering crowds. Once inside the safety of the inn, Magnar unloaded anything unnecessary except for a short sickle he had strapped to his back. He had once explained to Loke on their way to the capital that regular knives and swords didn’t seem to feel right and that he liked to use farming tools to protect himself and his clients. Magnar set his map tube on the bed and headed back to the door.“Look, I know you’re thinking I might do something bad, but we have a contract, and I intend on collecting on it. Just trust me, okay? Stay put. I can’t protect you if you go out on your own.”“Yeah, okay.” Loke worried she might have picked someone a little too clever. She had hoped for someone a bit more on the stupid side, but at the same time, the stupid ones were the first to sound alarms. There was something about Magnar that felt a little different than the other people she had tried to hire. Despite the large amount of money she offered, everyone had immediately declined knowing they would need to go into Teo. Magnar didn't seem to think about it at all and signed her contract quite readily. She wondered if it was because he was from Caax. He actually hadn’t told her where he was from, but the slight accent with certain words gave him away. He was no doubt local to the Holom/Caax border region. Finally alone, she was able to let herself grieve.As Magnar headed out of the inn, he suspected he would be followed. Loke didn’t seem nimble enough to follow him stealthily, so when he hadn’t heard or seen anything out of sorts, he figured she actually listened to him and stayed behind. He didn't think Loke was the obedient type, but it made things easier that she was right now.He made his way to the area of town where most of the pubs and taverns were located. Magnar had only ventured to Teo every now and then, so a lot of things would often change but the bar life never seemed to change. He didn’t have the same contacts, especially in the current religious climate. He had plenty of money from Loke’s down payment, but he hated to spend so much of it drinking to get information from drunken patrons. Instead, he walked back toward the square and lingered around some of the larger alleyways to get an idea of what was going on.His change in destination seemed to work in his favor. In the square proper there were people cleaning the rotten vegetation brought by the crowd. Under the gallows was a pair of older men that were loading the two bodies into a cart of hay. Grunt workers often would get chatty and this was likely his best chance.“Hey guys! I saw what happened today. This them?” Magnar approached the cart casually and took a peek inside.The first man put a hand on Magnar’s chest to stop him from looking too much. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go home. Don’t wanna join them up in the hills tonight, do ya?”“Sorry, I ain’t from ‘round here. But there be lots of people like ‘em in small towns east of da river.” Magnar hated talking like this, but the more he sounded like someone from way out of town, the easier this was going to be. He already learned they were going up into the hills, which were just outside the city proper. Unfortunately, many of the hills broke off into steep cliffs. How unceremonious to be tossed off the side of a cliff. Magnar didn’t think anyone deserved that kind of disrespect, regardless of who they were.“Heh, yeah. Palen’s got his eyes set on that area next. He’s gonna clean out the city then work on the eastern villages. There are fewer there than on this side of the river.” The second man chimed in.“So they’re getting hung there soon. Must be rough to be so stubborn. They should just convert already.” Magnar didn’t care too much about this information, but he would bet money that Loke would want to know about Palen’s plans and he wasn't opposed to more money. He wondered if he could squeeze some more out of her with that tidbit.As the men loaded the second body into the cart, the first one made an offer. “Hey kid, you wanna join us? These two are a little heavy and we only got the two of us. You look strong enough to help out with the dead weight and all.”That was exactly what Magnar was hoping for. “Sure, I mean, if your bosses don’t mind me joinin’ in on that.”“They don’t need to know. I don’t think they’d care too much either. Hop in! Sorry you have to ride with these two here in the back, but there’s no room up front for you. Just us.”Magnar suspected Loke would have acted on her own by now if she was going to, but as long as she was staying put, he had nothing to worry about with her tonight. He climbed in the back of the wagon with a faked, excited smile. “Ain’t no problem. What’s a body going to do to me anyway?”“Haha! Good answer, kid. I like you.” The second guy had a good laugh.You won’t like me in a little while, Magnar thought. “Think I could get a job with you guys after this? My crops ain’t doin’ so good this year and I could use a few extra taak.”“We’ll see. But we ain't payin' you for tonight. Call it on the job trainin'.” The two men closed the back of the cart with the two bodies and Magnar and sat on the front bench behind the two horses pulling the cart.Magnar felt sorrow as they rode through the town and started up the hills. The rising night didn't help that feeling either. Both of them looked so much at peace and despite the horrible end to their lives, they looked as if they had slipped off in their sleep. He gave a lot of thought to his next course of action, but while it wasn't the most virtuous, he knew what he needed to do.At the top of one of the many hills they already climbed, the cart stopped and the men came around to open the back. Leaving the bodies, they took Magnar to the edge of the cliff.“Kid, take a peek down there. This is one of the tallest cliffs we have. Can’t even tell you how many bodies we dumped down there, but there is going to be two more joining them. Since they’re heretics, they’re not permitted the same kind of fancy funerals we have. We just toss them down here and let the animals get them.”Magnar couldn’t see much, but he could sense a lot of emotion coming from the bottom of the hill though he didn’t quite understand why. He assumed it had to be from the countless wandering souls down there. It almost made him ill thinking about it. Unable to control the anger and the sadness welling up inside of him because of the horrible treatment of the innocent, he steeled himself and moved forward with his plan. First, he chuckled and took a few steps backwards. “I’m sure your god is pleased with this kind of offering.”The two men paused with a brief moment of confusion. “Offerings are something those heretics do for their false gods. And we can’t let any of them continue to spout their lies about the land.”The second man pulled out a sword and started toward Magnar. “So, heathen, if you think you aren’t going to join them, you are mistaken. Tonight you’ll get to watch them meet the fate that they have chosen.”“Guess I’ve been found out. But if you ask any of them down there, they’ll tell you our fate is already laid before us.” Magnar pulled out his sickle and while running up to the man closest to the edge, he slammed his shoulder into his body to push the man towards the cliff’s edge. The man he hit staggered backwards toward the edge where he fought for balance. Unable to regain his footing, he disappeared over the cliff's edge and only his screams in an otherwise quiet night could be heard as he fell into nothingness.“So, you are one of them, aren’t you, kid? What you just did was a serious crime, and I’ll have you join him momentarily.” He charged at Magnar with his sword.Magnar wasn’t one for traditional sword fighting but even he could tell this man wasn’t very well practiced. He only knew how to farm and dodge sharp objects flying at him. He was used to tools breaking and after the end of a hoe hit him square in the forehead once, he quickly learned how to dodge his father’s worn down tools.The swordsman was only getting more frustrated at Magnar’s dodges. He moved too unconventionally, and the swordsman was having a difficult time predicting where to swing next. As Magnar saw him getting heated, he switched his hand position on the sickle and after the next dodge to the inside, swiped upward with the blade facing outward, roughly slashing the man.“Sorry, but all these people deserve better. I hope your god forgives you, because I’m pretty sure our gods won’t.” While the swordsman was bleeding profusely and barely hanging on to consciousness, he staggered forward with one last downward slash. Magnar easily side stepped him and took the sword from his hand. ”You won’t need this where you are going. Give your friend my regards.”The swordsman couldn’t understand what Magnar said next as he was dragged to the edge of the cliff and pushed off the side. Magnar’s words were an old language that wasn't used outside of Biyeho. He only knew a few words himself, but it was all he needed to know to tell the gods he was offering something to them. He had offered the men to the god of justice in hopes that he would be forgiven for his actions.Not wasting any time, Magnar separated the cart from the horses and hid it in a densely wooded area, away from the cliff. He tethered the other horse to the horse he was going to ride back into town. Magnar was disappointed at himself for not bringing his map tube, but he memorized the route with ease and would write it out later. He had to get Loke back up the hill quickly, as there was little time before midnight.Back in the inn, Loke was nearing her wits’ end. Magnar had been gone for several hours, much longer than she expected. She no longer was worried that he would turn her in and was convinced he wasn’t one of those Tumben folk. However, she still wasn’t sure about his mostly carefree attitude and though she mostly trusted him, Loke didn’t entirely appreciate it. It felt cocky and she wasn’t sure she liked it. For now, she blamed it on him being a farmer and not a proper soldier type. As it got closer to midnight, Loke grew more and more worried about Magnar not having returned.Loke needed a distraction, so she retreated into the comfort of the book on the desk. She only carried one text, but it was the most valuable to her and probably the heaviest and largest in existence. It contained the essential knowledge of the Biyeho. All of the histories and stories were contained within the thick covers, as well as several added parchments and bookmarks making it even bulkier. She never let this book out of her grasp, even as far as to use it as a pillow, should she need to. While she wasn’t remarkably strong physically, carrying this particular book had given her some endurance benefits.Partially into one of the chapters regarding death ceremonies for very important people, Loke jumped when the door opened, pulling her back into reality. She was relieved Magnar came back alone and without someone to arrest her.“We don’t have a lot of time. We need to go, now. Do you have everything you need?” Magnar spoke quietly, but in a serious tone.Loke nodded and grabbed a small sack and her book, hiding them under the cloak she quickly threw on. “I take it you found them, then?”“Yeah. And when you’re all done doing what you need to do, we’re going to have a chat.”Loke wasn’t surprised. She figured he probably wanted to quit but was kind enough not to abandon her at a terrible hour in a city where she wasn't safe. She could give him enough for his services and try to find someone else, but that could wait until morning. Finding a quality guide and guard was not something readily available at this hour.They mounted the horses and Loke followed Magnar into the hills. Magnar briefly told her about how he came to acquire the bodies and apologized for getting carried away, leaving out the parts that would expose his own beliefs. “You need to do this at midnight, right? We don't have much time left to get ready.”Loke was certain Magnar was Biyeho at this point. She was fairly sure earlier, but this sealed her suspicions. A general Tumben practitioner wouldn’t know that the best time to set a soul free is at midnight. “Then you know what to do, right?”“Not really, but I know enough to get the bodies ready for you.”“That’s good enough. Just make sure the priest is to the left of the priestess. And if you need to say anything else, do it now or wait until it's over.”Since he had nothing useful to add, Magnar struggled to bring the bodies out into the clearing under the cloudy sky. The clouds would sometimes allow a few moonbeams from the waxing crescent to shine down, but overall, it was mostly cloudy with a few rare drops of rain falling from time to time. Magnar placed the bodies beside each other and positioned their hands by their sides, palms to the sky. Meanwhile, Loke was vigorously mixing some herbs and oils. He had only seen this done twice, each time was one of his parents, but he never needed to assist.Once everything was ready, Loke knelt to the side of the High Priest of Teo. Magnar knelt opposite her, beside the High Priestess of Caax. Loke waited in silence for a few moments and once the change in day was upon them, she began her ceremony. Magnar watched her carefully as she picked up a long needle and wiped the oil and herb mixture across it with a delicately embroidered cloth. He had no idea Loke was carrying such things, as her luggage didn’t seem any larger than his own. He also never understood the importance of any of the details, and so he never bothered to question them. He simply accepted them as how the gods wanted it.She spoke softly and smoothly, but Magnar understood very few of the words. After a deep breath, Loke gently pushed the needle into the priest’s torso, just below where his heart would be. She continued chanting and looked to the sky briefly before removing the needle and continuing her chant as she wiped the needle once again with the infused cloth. Once her chant had ended, she turned the needle, thicker end towards Magnar and nodded at him. She pointed at the location on herself, but nodded towards the priestess. Once the ceremony began, only words to the gods were to be spoken and all those present must participate in some fashion, as these were people of significant Biyeho status. That was especially important when asking a soul to be reborn.Magnar suspected as much and cautiously took the needle from Loke, waiting for her to begin her chants anew before proceeding. He had a sense of what he had to do by watching her and was surprised that it met no resistance as it moved into the priestess’ body. He followed Loke’s motions and removed the needle when it was indicated that he do so. Loke held her hand out for the needle and he returned it to her, as she had given it to him. She wiped it once more and placed it back at her side. She leaned over and grabbed Magnar’s hands and held them over the two bodies as she offered up their souls for cleansing and reincarnation. She also asked for Magnar’s transgressions to be purified so that he would not suffer as a result. Once she let go of his hands, she fell backwards with a heavy sigh.Relieved it seemed to be over, Magnar leaned back to rest in a far more graceful manner than Loke did. "I know I'm not supposed to ask questions, but what is all that actually for?" He pointed to the cloth with the oils and herbs and the needle still beside her."I'll answer those. It's mostly symbolic, but the oil is from the lifeflower and the bits inside are inedible herbs from some form of nightshade. The needle pierces the capsule of the soul and because of the oils; it easily makes its way towards the next life. Also, supposedly the god of rebirth enjoys nightshades, so it can't hurt to offer that too. But," she paused and sighed heavily. "That was exhausting. You did pretty well.” She paused and let herself breathe for a moment. “These aren’t the only two souls here tonight, are they?”Magnar shook his head. “No, down that cliff over there. I can’t tell how many, but it seemed like quite a lot. They have been dumping people there for quite a while.”Loke pulled herself up and frowned as she looked over the side of the cliff. “There are nearly a thousand souls suffering below. I can’t possibly do anything about them tonight.”How did she even guess that many? It was incredibly dark and he didn’t think his vision was a problem. Putting that aside, he realized that this was as good of a time as any to broach the topic. “Hey, Loke, we need to talk. Up here is pretty private, so I think it’s better than the inn.”“You’re right. And after what just happened, I suspect you’re going to quit then report me for a bounty, so I should prepare for my own public hanging.” She returned to her place beside the priest and started cleaning up.After he just participated in the same ceremony? Was she actually insane or just missing a few connections in her brain? “No, you don’t need to worry about that. I mean, um, how do I say this?" He scratched the back of his head briefly. "I also knew these two. I didn’t know they were the ones everyone was clamoring about until today happened, but I mean… I knew them.”“Magnar, are you saying you believe? Biyeho, I mean.” She let the small bag slip from her hands. She had strong suspicions but was never entirely sure until he confirmed it. A feeling of relief washed over her. At least she knew she wasn't going to be turned in, but there was still the question of him sticking around.“I do. Yeah. They came to visit everyone’s farm once in a while for harvest blessings and stuff. We always had good harvests when they came to visit. I knew they were important, and everyone loved them. They were very kind. They didn’t deserve this and I couldn’t let them be tossed down there like garbage. It’s why I wanted to help.” He nodded to the cliff behind Loke.“Then that makes this easier to talk about. In Holom City, things aren’t as bad as they are out here. We aren’t being hunted and persecuted, but tensions between the religions are rising. I wanted to come seek their advice on something, but it seems I was too late. They gave me most of my training growing up. My parents died when I was small, so to me, they were like my parents.” Her smile was bittersweet. It was clear she had fond memories, but there seemed to be a lot of pain mixed in.“Are you a priestess, then? I don’t think you could have done all this otherwise.” He knew he couldn't have done anything like this. Though he found it awkward to hold a conversation over the bodies and stood up to sit beside Loke.Loke watched him as he moved to sit beside her. “I am. Technically a high priestess like these two, but I spend more of my time researching historical texts then actual ceremonial duties. There are a number of them that are suggested to be missing stories, so to speak, but trying to parse through them is generally my job. As well as the usual important rituals and whatnot.”“Explains the language skills.” Magnar looked down at the two bodies. “So, what do we do with them now?”Loke stood up and brushed the grass off of herself, somewhat disappointed she didn’t have time to change into proper ceremonial clothing. “We burn them. Their souls have been purified for reincarnation, so they are just empty vessels. We are to burn them so that their bodies can return to the earth. Nature needs to run its course. Although…” Loke trailed off and looked over the cliff one more time, her brow furrowed in thought. “…I think it is best to save that until tomorrow. I need to look into something first, but I don’t want to alert anyone of anything just yet.”“That could be hard; I kinda added to the pile.” Magnar looked away a bit nervously.“Yes, I figured. Their god has probably forsaken them, but we can give them reprieve in our way. Besides that, they probably won’t figure it out right away. Do you think we can stay safe for one more night?”Magnar didn’t want to get in over his head. He had already done quite a lot beyond his initial contract and hiding two bodies for another day until she did whatever she was planning to do with them was going to be putting himself at a greater risk too. “Look, I don’t know if…”“You don’t think you can stay involved with all this, right?” She cut him off. “I figured as much. I can pay you for tonight and all your extra work and you can head back to finding a different job tomorrow. I’ll find some way to take care of this. Though, if something were to happen to me as a result, please travel to Holom and inform the priests there so that they can appoint a new high priestess.”Magnar ruffled his hair with his hands in frustration. “Ok, I’ll help you here for one more day. But I am raising my fee considerably. This is getting way too dangerous.”Loke huffed. “Deal.” She didn’t like it, but at least she would have a chance of surviving tomorrow. Otherwise, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to press forward and her life would end here, largely unfulfilled.“Let’s hide them and get back to the inn. Obviously, you need to rest and I need to secure a new job after this one is done.”Even though they went to bed late, Magnar was still up with the sun, but it didn’t look like Loke was getting up anytime soon. Now was a good time for Magnar to do some things in town before Loke woke up and dictated his schedule. Initially, he was going to see if he could find himself another job, but somehow he found himself shopping for traveling supplies and extra sheets of parchment and ink. He had been gone a lot longer than he anticipated, but when he got back to the inn, he was still somehow surprised Loke was awake and very involved in her book.“Hey, you’re actually awake.” Magnar dropped the supplies on his bed.Loke barely glanced up from the page she was reading. “I didn’t think you were coming back. Weren’t you going to find a new job? Your secret is in danger with me around, isn’t it?”Magnar shrugged. “It isn’t like we don’t have a similar secret. Besides, if I just let you out on your own, you’d get killed before you left town.”“Probably. But sometimes that is what one must do." Loke turned the page before stopping to actually see what it was Magnar brought back. "But if you are going to continue to be my escort, then I suppose I should come clean about the whole task.” Loke closed her book. “I’m going to be seeking out other Biyeho leaders and hopefully we can figure something out to solve some of these genocide issues. Obviously we can’t stand against them in a war type effort, the civil wars in Nich and Kabra have shown that, but there needs to be some sort of solution. Besides, our population outside Holom is quickly decreasing.”“You’re right that there aren’t too many of us left." Magnar sat on the bed beside his spoils of the morning. "But I’m sure there are plenty of people like me, too. You know, fake it up front and make inconspicuous shrines and offerings that way. Hide it to survive.” He paused to consider her words. Things like genocide weren’t really said aloud and he only knew the barest information about the civil wars in Nich and Kabra. He noticed Loke staring at him with a curious look on her face. “What?”She narrowed her eyes and stared at him. “You’re a farmer, but you could read and actually understand my contract. You took care of two men on your own last night. You seem to be somewhat aware of things lay people might not know. Are you sure you’re not a soldier? Former soldier?”“No.” Magnar seemed slightly insulted. “We had some basic schooling as a kid. My parents taught me to keep an ear to the ground. I’m not the soldier type.” He was relieved that Loke seemed content enough about it and let out a sigh and changed the topic. “What else do you need for tonight? It sounds like we’re going to have to make a run for it after whatever you got planned.”“In this situation, the only way to purify the souls for rebirth is to release them by burning the shell. Those victims at the bottom of the cliff still need to have their souls released, though it might seem rather brutal. The best we can do is make an offering and try to free them by burning off the vessel and releasing the souls. The priest and priestess from last night – we’ll put them down there as well.”“Shouldn’t we have just done that last night?”“I didn’t want to have to do it so unceremoniously. So, basically, we need some good kindling and an ignition source.”It was a rather weak reason to Magnar, but he didn’t have much of a retort after that. However, he started to think about what she was aiming to do in a practical manner. A fire that large would take some sort of strong ignition and most certainly get them caught if they lingered for too long. He was right to assume they would need to leave quickly.“Oh, I forgot. If we could find at least one more person, the ceremony would flow a bit better. I would love more than that, but I realize we're limited on resources. Though, that’s where I’m a little at a loss. After yesterday, I don’t think it would be easy to find anyone around here.”“I've heard of a way about how to find people, but it is a bit of a long shot. Out in the small villages, we often would use a code to let each other know who we were. I don’t know if that phrase has made its way here, to Teo, but it might be worth a shot.” He was skeptical. No intelligent Biyeho would voluntarily come to Teo without a good reason.Loke sighed. “I think it might be our only chance. We certainly don’t have a lot of time. What is this phrase that you use?”Magnar looked away with a bit of embarrassment and spoke in a small voice. “It’s pretty stupid, I mean, it doesn't really sound stupid in the village, but in the city…”“It doesn’t matter how stupid it sounds. Remember, I’m paying you because you know things in this country that I don’t."“The phrase is ‘I heard the chipmunks ate all the wheat this year.’ Like I said, it sounds pretty stupid to toss about in a city like this.” Magnar still was looking away from her.Loke put her finger to her chin. “It does sound very much like a village kind of thing. But do chipmunks actually eat wheat?” She really had no idea about how farming worked or what animals ate.“Sometimes, but they're not usually a problem. But city people don’t really know the difference, anyway. The difficult part is getting it into a normal conversation and hoping the right person overhears it.” Magnar felt that it was a really desperate move and leaned back to stare at the ceiling. He didn’t really want to have to actually say it.“Then let us go to one of those busy places and try to dig up a few people.” She was already standing and collecting herself.“Taverns and pubs are the best option. You sure you want to go to one of those? You don’t strike me as the type…”Loke glared at Magnar briefly. Though it was definitely not her type place to hang out, she didn’t like letting him know he had easily guessed as much about her. “There is a lot you probably don’t know about me. Shall we head out?”The tavern they chose had a good amount of people inside, though it wasn't exactly the busiest time of the day, either. Loke was clearly outside of her comfort zone and Magnar was itching to poke fun at her a little about it, but decided not to for the time being.“Are you going to hire me beyond Caax? I’m assuming you’re headed elsewhere.” Magnar figured he could talk business vaguely enough, but at some point he should be able to manage to work the key words into the conversation. He just hoped it wouldn't be a waste.“I’ll think about it. We would renegotiate your rate since you wouldn’t be a guide anymore - just a guard. But do you really want me to?” Loke assumed his shopping trip earlier meant he intended to take her home but now was questioning that assumption. Maybe he could read her better than she thought and he knew she’d consider going further away from home.“It does seem like it will benefit my wallet. I’m pretty sure I’ve earned my way so far.” He grinned, seeing that anytime he brought up getting paid she tended to get a little irritated.“We’ll see. So, besides tagging along with me, what else is it that you do?” Loke was concerned about her ability to hold a simple conversation and whether or not she sounded out of place. Most of her actual conversations with people were about Biyeho things or other political happenings. She wanted to transition the topic so that she could use the code line, but she wasn’t sure whether she was properly handling it or not.Loke’s conversation skills weren’t as bad as Magnar expected them to be, given their previous awkward small talk before. She had been relatively professional and formal from the start, but bit by bit she had been a little less stiff. Now as he could see where she was trying to go with her question, there seemed to be a subtlety that she was missing. “Farming, mostly. This year’s wheat crops aren’t doing all that well, though.”Loke fidgeted under the table, playing with the fingered edges of her fingerless gloves. Even she realized this was an easy opening for her and she didn't want to fail at something so simple. “Oh, that’s too bad. I didn’t realize you farmed wheat. I heard the chipmunks ate all the wheat this year.” She didn’t expect anyone to notice it, let alone approach them. It would be too convenient.Magnar had been watching her carefully and he didn't miss the subtle body movements, assuming it was her way of actually being nervous. He'd seen her determined and upset, but even through dangerous events, she hadn't seemed nervous at all. As he was about to reply, a voice cut in to provide an answer to Loke's comment. He was too busy noticing Loke's anxiety that he didn't even realize that someone else approached the table.“They may have eaten most, but some seemed to have been harvested in good health.” The woman that approached the table placed her hand on the edge and leaned into the table, bringing her face closer to both of theirs. Loke shifted backwards slightly. She never liked people being that close to her.“Unfortunately, my fields haven’t been so lucky.” Magnar didn’t miss a beat and he didn’t even have to lie. He kept focused on the woman's face and Loke, since if he deviated, his gaze would only find the woman's tan chest in his view. At a glance, he could tell Loke was still trying to keep up and decided that he would be the one to take on the initiative and drive the conversation with this stranger, but carefully.“That is unfortunate. My name is Winter." She leaned back a little, amused at the faint pink color crossing Magnar's face and at how put off Loke seemed to be. "I’m sorry for interrupting your conversation, but I can’t resist whenever I hear someone talking about the crops this year. I have a few friends that haven’t been to the farmland and always were curious to know what it was like to work the wheat farms. Would you be interested?”“Well, that depends on my client. I’m just the guide.” Magnar looked at Loke to try and gauge her reaction.Loke was hesitant. If it was a hunt for “heretics,” they could be at great risk, but if it was actually the people they were looking for, then she couldn’t turn down this chance. She knew she could stand to be a bit more cautious, but if Magnar wasn't opposing it from the start, then she thought it might be alright. “I think it would be alright for my guide to speak with your friends.”“Great!” Winter smiled and stood up. “I will try to find them and let them know. Do you know where the orphanage is, just north of the city wall?”Magnar nodded. He knew of two orphanages in the city. One, south of the wall was where the Tumben set up a place for orphaned children. Many of the kids were orphaned from the various wars and sought refuge in Caax, but others were from families that were publicly executed. The other orphanage, the one to the north, was an old but recently abandoned building. Traditionally, it was where the Biyeho used to raise orphans until the recent push to eradicate the Biyeho. It had been raided and while the adults had perished trying to protect the orphans, the children were collected and taken to the southern orphanage. But it was a good meeting place when you wanted to keep something quiet since no one bothered to go there.“Good! We’ll be there in two hours.” Winter headed out as if parting with longtime friends. To those that noticed, even her walk was animated, nearly a skip.“She was quite… energetic.” Magnar didn’t quite have the right words to describe her. But given all the grim attitudes running through much of Caax, it was quite the stark contrast – much like the contrast of her snowy hair and dark skin.“But she seemed to know what we meant, right? I’m looking forward to meeting her and her friends later.” Loke seemed to feel a bit more relaxed but couldn't help but also feel some sort of excitement on top of her nerves.Loke and Magnar didn’t say much after that and finished their food mostly in silence. They didn’t want to risk too much after this conversation, so Loke just let Magnar tell her all about farming tools. It wasn’t very interesting at all to her and she ended up tuning most of it out. Magnar knew he should just keep going even if she wasn’t paying attention just to keep up appearances. Having her talk about anything she was into would only end up with both of them in the gallows for sure.Loke followed Magnar through the city toward the north wall until he stopped with the orphanage visible off in the distance. He turned to confirm one last time with Loke to make sure this was a risk she wanted to take, but the determined expression on her face was more than enough to confirm it. She knew it could easily be a rouse, using a building that was once important to them. But she was going to go, no matter what the risk. Loke had to find more believers and hopefully ones who could lead her to more priests.Once they arrived at the building, Magnar gestured for Loke to stay where she was while he looked around. He didn’t want her too far out of his sight and insisted on checking for obvious traps. After all, if he let her get hurt or taken here, he wouldn’t get paid – or something else could happen that would be far worse.“I think it should be fine, let’s just go inside.” Loke was getting impatient. She appreciated him checking around, but whatever was going to happen here, was going to happen. They came too far to not go inside.Magnar frowned and grunted in disapproval. But he didn’t find anything suspicious, so he went back to Loke before going toward the door. “I didn’t see anything, but that doesn’t mean there still isn’t something here. Just stick close.” He worried that she was never going to have regard for her own safety and was going to get both of them killed.“Yeah, fine, just open the door already!” She lightly bounced with anticipation forgetting about anything that should make her nervous.Magnar opened the door to a seemingly empty room. The windows were mostly broken and the light filtering in highlighted cobwebs, dust, and a plethora of broken artifacts. It looked like a regular foyer and nothing in here gave any insight about the gods that often would be worshiped in orphanages. Though, Loke did spot a small, dusty alcove to the east that looked like it may have been a shrine at one point.It seemed that they were the only two people inside. Loke frowned, feeling disappointed. “Are we early?”“No, but I’m starting to think we were being set up. If you want, we can still get out of here and you can look for some people somewhere else.” Something didn't feel quite right to Magnar.“No. They should be here somewhere.” Loke already started wandering around, looking at things in the room. She noticed broken ceramics, dirty toys, and a pile of scorched texts as she walked around the perimeter. The books broke her heart, as she could tell they were important stories to share with the children. She noticed one book in particular that was mostly still intact. She bent down to pick it up and the edges of the pages crumbled to her touch. It was a children’s story about how the goddess of protection had come to visit a family that was being antagonized by the god of destruction. No matter how much he tried to destroy the family’s home, lands, and possessions, the family themselves were protected and able to remain strong because of the goddess, despite what was thrown at them. It was a wonderful tale often told to children.While Loke stopped to get sentimental, Magnar looked for something more significant. He didn’t see anything leading to a hidden attic or any loose boards to signify a basement. But the shrine in the east wall also caught his attention. Before Palen’s crazy persecution of everyone that wasn’t Tumben, he had a similar one at his home. But something didn’t seem right with this one and he couldn’t quite place it. “Hey, Loke, when you’re done playing in the dirt, can you come look at this? Something doesn’t feel right.”She made a face indicating some irritation, but she walked over to join him, keeping the book with her. She looked over the shrine and while it looked fairly standard, she could tell something wasn’t exactly right. Loke reached out to feel along the wood of the platform when she heard a voice call out behind them.“So you guys came. Sorry about the delay, but we had to make sure you guys were legit. We were watching you for a while. To be honest, I’m actually surprised you came with all the risks. I’ll introduce you to my friend first. He’ll be your guide after that. I don’t quite know all the details about what goes on, since I don’t believe like you guys, but I don’t like what those other jerks are doing either. Everything they’re doing goes against Tumben teachings too. Anyway, he’s by the back door. Follow me!” Winter seemed a lot more energetic here than at the tavern, but she was still cautious as she led them to the back door of the building. In the shadows, a small, cloaked figure leaned against the wall, but anxiety seemed to radiate from his figure. “This is my friend Blu! I don’t wanna know your names, to stay safe, you know. So, I’ll be heading out here. But if you hurt my friend, I’ll find you and eliminate you myself.”“Warning noted.” Magnar watched Winter leave and noticed Loke staring at the figure intently.He was a tiny bit taller than Loke, but not anywhere as tall as Magnar. He had a juvenile feel about him, but he waited until Winter was gone before stepping forward and pulling off his hood. “As Winter said, my name is Blu. I heard that you were having a problem with chipmunks.”“You could say that.” Magnar figured even if this kid was dangerous, he could take him, easily. He wondered if he was called Blu after his light blue hair and deep blue eyes. Did he even need to wear shades of blue, too?Loke was a bit more comfortable with Blu right from the start than Magnar. “I was wondering if it would be alright and safe to speak frankly today. There are some complex things that I think we may discuss, but this place doesn’t feel very conducive for a proper discussion.” She was, however, disappointed it was only one person. She expected more when Winter talked about having friends.“Yes, but let’s go somewhere we can relax a little more.” Blu walked past them into the open room and towards the small shrine. He ran his fingers along the bottom edge of a small lip on the platform and the entire platform clicked and popped open slightly. Blu lifted it, revealing a rather tight space, but large enough for someone to take the ladder down. “Please go ahead of me. I will make sure it is closed properly.”Loke didn’t hesitate and started down the ladder. Magnar was already set to argue with her but she was moving faster than he ever thought she could; Magnar had to rush. The ladder was fairly long and the tunnel was fairly dark – only to become darker after Blu closed the hatch. Loke finally reached the bottom and stepped backwards out of the way so Magnar wouldn’t step on her. Magnar did much of the same and backed into her, having her stumble onto the ground. Blu reached the bottom and used some sort of device to light a torch further down the tunnel.“What was that?” Magnar didn’t really pay much attention to Loke, but focused on the device in Blu’s hand.“I will explain in a bit. Follow me.” Blu walked toward the light and grabbed the lit torch off the wall continuing forward.The tunnel seemed to go on rather far, but eventually led to a large metal door. Blu opened it and held it open for the other two. The room inside was empty and spacious. There were several benches and Loke had already made herself comfortable on one.“Blu, this place is pretty amazing. It has plenty of room for most rituals and ceremonies, but being underground has a lot of limitations.” Loke looked around with amazement.“Loke, you should wait until…” Magnar was cut off by Blu and virtually ignored as they began their conversation. Obviously not having any real importance to what was being discussed; he wandered over to a bench he noticed in the dim light.“The priest and priestess that were unfortunately hung yesterday often would hold meetings and blessings here once things started to get bad. Were you familiar with them?” Blu's stance showed that he was still anxious, but he did speak smooth enough to hide it.Loke nodded as she gave Blu her attention. “Yes, they were responsible for much of my education. It was quite heartbreaking to witness…” She began to break down. While she had a few moments the day before to release her emotions, Loke still was upset by the entire affair. “I’m sorry. If we could move forward.”Seeing Loke visibly upset made Blu fidget. He’d barely known her for more than a few moments but there was something about her that made him want to trust her. He wasn’t sure if it was admiration or something else, but seeing her cry felt like it was his fault somehow. He would rather not even be having this conversation but Winter brought him here for what he assumed was a good reason. He never had reason to doubt her since she was still lending him aid. “Right. So, um, there are a handful of believers in the city, but right now, most are hiding as much as possible. Even Winter had to try exceptionally hard to get me to come meet you. It’s really risky.”“I’m glad she did. I actually came to Caax to try and find other Biyeho leaders. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been terribly easy. Though, I will be leaving Teo tonight and may need to leave Caax altogether. But I was hoping to find some others to help with a purification ritual before we leave.”“Are you referring to the cliff up in the hills?”“Yes, how did you know?" Loke couldn't hide her surprise.Blu frowned. "Everyone knows that's where the bodies are being dumped."And no one was doing anything about it? Loke couldn't believe that everyone would simply ignore it. "Last night I also purified the high priest and priestess, but their shells need to be returned to the earth.”Blu remained silent, thinking carefully about Loke’s aims before replying. “I think I should be able to help tonight, but I doubt anyone else would take the risks. However, in return, I am going to ask that you let me leave Teo with you.”It was Loke’s turn to be silent and think carefully. She was paying Magnar to protect her, but she couldn’t really afford to pay for his protection too. But it would be a relief to travel with yet another Believer. There were several pros and cons to evaluate, and she actually wanted to get Magnar’s thoughts on this. “If you don’t mind, may I speak to Magnar about this, briefly?”Blu nodded and Loke walked over to the bench where Magnar had wandered to get comfortable on.“You guys done chatting?” He yawned and rubbed one of his eyes. His lack of sleep was catching up with him. It also seemed that Blu wasn’t much of a threat to Loke, so maybe it wouldn’t be a bad place to catch a quick nap.“Probably soon. But I wanted to talk to you about something first.” Loke crossed her arms.“Aren’t I just the muscle after we leave Caax?” He raised his arms to stretch.Loke thought he would have been somewhat pleased to be consulted. “If that is how you want to think of yourself. Blu has offered to help with the ceremony tonight, but…”“But there’s a catch, right?” Magnar sat up straighter.Loke nodded, “Yes. He will help us if he can travel alongside us. However, I don’t expect you to offer the same protection as me. Though, I still need to explain that to him as well…” she trailed off, still wondering if it would be wise for Blu to join them.“If he can take care of himself, I don’t really care.” Magnar really didn’t care if Blu came or not, but he felt like something about him was off. He noticed Blu was putting up a brave front but it was obvious that he was nervous being alone with them.Returning to Blu, Loke stood across from him and subconsciously played with her fingers before moving her hair behind her ear. “We can’t guarantee your safety and that you’ll be protected, but if you wish to travel with us, then you are welcome to. Our journey has no definite destination and may end at any time. As I mentioned before, I’m looking to find out the status of Biyeho leaders since things aren't going well for us.”Without hesitation, Blu agreed to her terms. He had plenty of reasons for wanting to leave Caax and this was his best option at the moment.Relieved, Loke took his hands in hers. “We’ll meet at the cliff around 11 tonight. We have some early preparations, but the ritual will begin at midnight. I suppose it’s a little late, but I am Loke, High Priestess of Holom City, capital city of Holom." She pointed to the bench behind her. "Over there is Magnar, farmer from western Caax and my hired guide and bodyguard. It’s been a pleasure speaking with you today and I look forward to this evening. If you have any questions about tonight, I’ll be glad to answer them.”Blu pulled his hands away from Loke with great haste. “H-high Priestess? Why would you come to such a dangerous place in your position? How have you managed to not be discovered?”Blu’s insinuations weren’t far off. “Magnar has helped me when I started to behave inappropriately for this society. But I can’t evaluate our status from Holom. And it will be nice to travel with someone else I can share communication.” She offered a smile.Blu’s anxious aura returned but he already decided he would travel with them. He didn’t think he was worthy enough to have spoken so plainly to a high priestess and was regretting not having a proper introduction before their conversation. “It’s starting to get late. I have a few things to arrange before I join you tonight and I’m sure you have some things to prepare. I will show you an easier way out.”Loke started to follow Blu, but noticed Magnar had dozed off so she went back and gently shook his shoulder."Don't even try to be friendly at this stage." He instinctively grabbed her hand firmly before he had come around and realized what was going on. Magnar noticed the look of terror on Loke's face and quickly released her hand. "I wasn't referring to you. I must have been dreaming about something."Loke didn't say anything about it and continued to wearily glance his way. Magnar apologized profusely as they caught up to Blu and were led out a different door down a different tunnel. The end of the tunnel led to the basement of what sounded like a pub. Casks filled the room, which could only be assumed as wine. They parted ways briefly and would reunite later that night.Loke and Magnar had gone to the cliff long before Blu was to meet them to set up as much as they could ahead of time. After sprinkling lamp oil onto the priest and priestess, they had added them to the rest of the bodies they were intending to burn that night. They had thrown a significant amount of lamp oil (or at least, as much as they could get without drawing suspicion) on top of them as well. At the top of the cliff, Loke knew she wouldn’t have time to wear proper ceremonial clothing, so she settled for using some mud to draw the ceremonial lines on her arms and face. After setting up a few candles along the edge and set up a few small dishes with the same herb/oil mixture from the night before, she lit a few other dishes with incense to mask the smell of burning flesh.Given the scope of the ceremony, Loke wouldn’t be able to tend to each person individually, so she spread some loose dirt in an area between the incense and used the needle from book to draw complicated designs into the dirt. Blu arrived while Loke was still drawing and lingered with Magnar to watch her. At this point, neither had anything useful to add to the situation at this point other than to watch for anyone that might be coming this way or to provide some lantern light for Loke if she needed more than the nearby candles. When Loke finished, she had Magnar and Blu kneel in specific locations, then she knelt facing them to form a triangle. She gave each of them a candle and asked them to close their eyes. Loke went through a long series of rhythmic chants and periodically would sprinkle herbs and oils over the design. When she finished her chants, she asked the boys to open their eyes and carefully stand in a way to not interrupt the design or candles. She spaced everyone evenly at the edge and they took a candle in each hand and, one by one, dropped them over the edge onto the bodies at the bottom of the cliff. The oil ignited quickly and spread along the entirety of the makeshift grave. Loke said a few more chants before officially completing the ritual. Now finished, the group quickly grabbed all the dishes and packed up their items and quickly took off through the hills before someone came to investigate the fire.The trio had run as far as they could through the night and partially through the next day with very few stops to rest. Magnar carried Loke for a portion of it when she couldn’t keep up, but they were likely to be pursued and couldn’t afford to stop and camp. Eventually, they went off the main road and into the woods to find a good place to stop for a while. It was still before noon when they stopped for a proper rest, but after running the entire night and most of the morning they were exhausted. Up ahead where the woods thinned was nothing but fields of grain. Given the state of this year’s crops, the likelihood they could even hide in the fields was low.
“We should rest here for the rest of today. I would imagine Palen would send people along the southern roads since they are easier to travel on.” Magnar was starting to look around for useable firewood.Blu sat on the edge of a log to catch his breath. He did not want to feel like dead weight and wanted to be somewhat useful to the group. “I can help. What do you need?”Loke was already lying on the ground. She pulled a small stick out from under her and tossed it aside while watching the sunlight filter through the trees. The air was cool but warmer than the past few days. It was nice to just be still and while she could hear Magnar and Blu talking about a fire or something maybe about food, she ended up falling asleep.Magnar had just started the fire when Loke sprung up with a start. “Oh, the priestess awakens.”“How long was I out?” Loke asked as she brushed leaves out of her hair.“An hour or so. Blu’s out getting more wood so we can keep this going through the night. “Feel better?” Magnar put a handful of small sticks on the fire.Loke moved to the log Blu had previous sat on. “A little, actually.”Blu returned to see Loke was awake and he felt relieved. He was worried even though Magnar didn’t seem bothered with her sleeping on the ground.“Blu, welcome back.” Loke smiled at him and made room for him on the log. Magnar realized it might have been the first time he’d actually seen her smile since the trip began.Magnar added the bundle Blu had brought to the pile they had started. “We should talk about what happens now. Loke?”Loke’s smile faded and she stared at the small fire. “I haven’t heard much from the offices in Nich or Kabra in a long time – since the wars. Most of that is because of how far away Holom is from them, but there is also the possibility that there isn’t anyone to relay information.”“What about Yopa? That’s closer, at least.” Magnar glanced at Blu, but couldn’t read anything from him. He just noticed that he seemed fixated on Loke.“Yopa’s situation is similar to Caax. Even getting across the Great Southern Bridge will be a challenge.” She took a deep breath and sat up straighter, having made her decision. “I’ll start with Nich. A lot of Biyeho were exterminated, but it’s likely that with their current non-aggression agreement we won’t be targeted for religious reasons. So, how do we get there?”Magnar was stunned by her rapid decision and scrambled to rummage for a pencil. He used the side of a broken log to write on since he didn’t want to waste good map making paper. “If Teo is here at this knot, we’re probably somewhere around this grain line. The port is over this way, but even if we push hard it’ll take a few days. After that, I guess we see if anything actually sails to Nich.”Blu felt completely out of his element. He only ever remembered Caax and most of his life was in the orphanage. He’d been on his own for a while, but even that was just squatting in vacated places just outside of Teo. “What’s Nich like?”Magnar shrugged and Loke looked like she was actually giving it some thought as she replied. “Well, I haven’t actually been there myself, but I once met someone from there a long time ago. He said the land was generally a sparse landscape. It has villages and towns like we do, but everything is spaced out and its mostly grasslands and quite flat.”“It doesn’t sound very exciting.”“I didn’t hire you to take a vacation.” Loke snapped with a scowl.Blu looked at both of them wondering if they were going to have an actual fight and tried to cut the tension. “I’ve never been outside of the Teo area, so all of this is exciting to me.”Loke smiled again, but this time it seemed like there was something malicious behind it. “At least someone has some appreciation for new things.”Magnar huffed, dropping the subject of Nich altogether. “We should leave as early as we can and push as far as we can tomorrow. I don’t know if there are still people going to be looking for us, but the faster we get out of Caax, the better. Also, for our own safety, we should watch the fire in shifts overnight.”Neither Blu nor Loke had an argument against that and the camp generally fell silent again.
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After a few days of constant motion and a decent distance away from the city, Loke was too exhausted to move. She just didn’t have the physical stamina to keep up with the other two and plopped to the ground, staring at the sky that was awash with the vivid reds and purples of a sunset. She didn’t mind the uncomfortable jabbing of sticks and leaves under her or that they were in yet another endless field with farmland as far as the eye could see. “I don’t understand why there is such resentment against us. It isn’t like we care what they do. Well, there are a few that do, but they’re a bit disproportionate in their offerings.”“What do you mean by disproportionate?” The orphanage only taught Blu the basics of gods and offerings. He mostly knew that if there was something you could think of, there was a god for it. He wasn’t aware of the intricate details or even the ceremonies like the one Loke performed in Teo.“There are gods for just about everything. We’re both faiths that focus on the natural world around us, but our belief structure is significantly different than the Tumben. We look to the god of agriculture for our farms, god of the weather for rain or sun, god of health for our well-being, etcetera, etcetera. But instead of focusing on the natural gods who keep everything in balance, there are some who neglect the natural teachings and make their offerings to the god of war or the god of prosperity. The gods themselves aren’t inherently against the natural order, but for those who are pushing for a conflict where there is none, then it becomes a problem. If someone in poverty wants to ask the god of prosperity to help them improve their conditions compared to someone that already has more means than the rest of the people asking to be more prosperous, it is up to the gods to decide how to respond. After I rest a while, it would be best to make an offering to the god of travelers and the god of the seas for safe passage to Nich.”Blu nodded, trying to absorb the lesson. Loke’s explanation was a little disjointed, but it mostly confirmed what he already knew. “So, does Magnar also believe in the gods as we do?”Loke glanced over at Magnar, who wasn’t within earshot, but she could see him hacking at some short shrubs that had greyed with age. “I believe so. He comes from a farming family, so I would imagine they had a shrine to the god of agriculture in their home. I don’t know what their specific offerings would be, but he would have asked for a healthy crop. Similar offerings could have been made for other gods, depending on the conditions for that year, like in a drought or excessive rain. Which gods are you familiar with?”“At the orphanage, the shrine that led to the tunnel was usually full of offerings to the gods of protection and happiness. Some kids would pray to the god of families, but most of us just wanted to be happy and felt like a big family as we were. After the orphanage was raided, we were taken to the southern orphanage and forced to convert. Some did out of fear and others pretended to go along with them. I feel like I should apologize to the gods for abandoning them.”“I’m sure the gods would understand. Aside from the god of vengeance, I can’t imagine any actually being vengeful. You’re still pretty young and have a lot of time to get back in their good graces if you felt the need. You’re, what, fifteen?”“Sixteen. I left southern orphanage soon after we were taken there and have been squatting in abandoned places outside the city since. Winter was a visitor to the orphanage sometimes and she would help me since I’ve been my own. I think she might have grown up there, but I never actually asked her.”Loke had been concerned he might be too young to be tagging along but remembered at sixteen she was a freshly minted high priestess and on her own and traveled quite a bit through Holom on her own. Still, she wasn’t without worry. “You know, you don’t need to continue traveling with us if you don’t want to. It might be a little dangerous once we leave Caax.”“A little dangerous may be an understatement.” Magnar had returned with an armful of sticks and twigs. “I have a feeling Loke is going to get us all killed at some point. Oh, and I’m adding all this labor to my bill, too.”Loke forced herself to sit upright. “I have no intentions on getting us all killed.” She pretended not to hear his last statement.“Intentions are one thing. But if we’re under ambush for example, what skills do you have to try and fight back? It isn’t exactly time for some sort of ritual offering in hopes something will work out. I might be carrying some farm tools, but they’ve been surprisingly useful in direct combat.”“I can help.” Blu was a little hesitant to speak up and didn’t like it when they started to argue. He pulled out a firearm that looked far more advanced or foreign than either Loke or Magnar had ever seen, which wasn’t difficult as Magnar hadn’t ever seen one and Loke had only seen the ones used to hunt in the mountains west of Holom City. Those were long, quite dull and cold looking while the one Blu held in his hands was a lot more compact in bright silver with what Loke could only assume was glass inlaid along the barrel and an opening in the back to load it. “This was one of the things left behind during the chaos in the orphanage. I think one of the priests used this. It releases some sort of energy based on whichever pellet is put inside. I don’t have an endless supply but enough to help out if I use them sparingly.”Loke’s eyes widened and she looked remarkably excited and reached out her hand for some of the pellets, which Blu handed her two. “I’ve only ever heard rumors of these! These are essentially marbles or beads, but with small spiritual symbols etched inside. Depending on which symbol, you can harness and utilize some of the spirits’ powers. This is incredible!”Blu didn’t completely understand her, but also didn’t realize he had something so rare. “I can show you how to use it, if you would like…”Loke fought back her excitement. “No, you use it. But I might be able to help you create more of these pellets. We just need supplies.” She also hoped her book would have something useful to help her figure out the actual method of making them. She doubted it would be as easy as carving a symbol into a wooden or glass ball.“And? Blu’s been able to show he can carry his on weight. But what about you, Loke? Just going to smack someone around with that giant book of yours?” Magnar sat on a stump, his arms crossed and glaring at her a little.“Well, aside from the exact reason you were hired, that’s all I can offer at the moment. Sorry I’m useless. Unless…” Loke was back to thinking about the gun that Blu had and the principals behind it.“Unless?” Magnar was actually curious to see if she had any else to offer. He didn’t expect her to actually have to fight, but as he was responsible for her safety, he wanted to make sure she wasn’t completely defenseless.“If I can work off the same principal of Blu’s gun. I might be able to figure something out. Spirits are a bit different than gods. Both can give you abilities, but there are only a few spirits compared to countless gods. There are some overlaps, but, for example, the god of wind is generally makes a windy day, but a wind spirit will let a person use the elemental particles in the air to utilize wind at their whim. It’s pretty rare and I read something about trials or rituals. It might be in my book, so let me think on it a while.”Magnar wasn’t quite following, but he was surprised how excited Loke seemed to be as she was working out her thoughts. “I never heard of spirits before.”Loke was pulled from her thoughts. “What?” She looked over at Blu who also shook his head.“Oh.” Loke sighed and collected herself. “Well, I guess they don’t go into that much depth to lay people. I only read about it while training to be a high priestess, so that makes sense.” She picked up a stick and drew a circle on the ground and a smaller circle next to it. “So, this large circle is the collection of gods. Inside this smaller circle are spirits. The spirits handle our basic elements. One story is that the spirits came before the gods and created everything before the gods were created from the people. The other is that some of them work in tandem with gods; some are a bit more independent. There are spiritual particles that surround us. Elements of fire that helped make this fire happen without having to ask the gods to make it. Also why sometimes even if it isn’t raining, the air can feel sort of wet.”“Humidity.” Magnar didn’t realize he said it aloud until she stopped to give him a displeased look.“Right. Humidity is caused from the water particles. Anyway, in ancient times, people had the ability to harness the spirit particles. Supposedly it is still possible, but to be able to manipulate them, you would need a contract with the spirit. It gets a little messy with how it would work if someone was already a god, since they supposedly have abilities, but I’ve not met someone that is a god, so I can’t be sure how that actually works.”Blu held his hand up to interrupt. “Did you just say people can be gods?”“Yes.” Loke worried she was going too fast and she wondered how much these two actually knew about the religion they practiced. “Ok, ignoring all the confusing spirit talk for a moment. Gods are able to walk amongst us. Supposedly the most pious are chosen to become a god or goddess. I’ve met quite a few devoted people but I’ve yet to meet anyone that outwardly told me if they were a god. Very little has been written about it, so it seems like information that people aren’t supposed to know unless they are one.”Magnar nodded. “That much I’ve heard about. The spirit thing is new to me.”Loke felt somewhat relieved that at least Magnar knew that much. “Not a lot has been documented that I’ve found. Historical origins of Biyeho is my field of study, so if anyone would know, it would be me.”Blu seemed enthralled in her depth of knowledge, but though Magnar was somewhat actually impressed, he suspected she was now just gloating and trying to stroke her ego.“So, my gun uses spiritual particles from the air to generate static attack?” Blu looked down at the pellets in his hand.“That’s my hypothesis.” She handed the pellets back to Blu. “I wish I had the time to devote to researching this, but I have a few ideas I’ll look into later.”“Time is what we don’t really have right now.” Magnar had built up the fire while they were talking and the dark sky had already settled in. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m hungry and we don’t have the light to find fresh food.”Blu pulled a small packet from his pack. “We don’t have much dried meat left.”Of the three pieces that remained, Loke took the smallest one and let the other two have the rest. She debated not taking any at all, but even though she sometimes forgot to eat when she was researching, she shouldn’t skip it completely in this environment. She was thankful that Blu even had the foresight to bring it with him. Loke and Magnar spent most of their last day preparing for the ceremony and gathering other supplies that were helpful except when it came to not starving.When Magnar woke to take the last shift for watch he found Loke still sitting by a low fire reading. He was pretty sure she was in the exact same position then.“Loke, get some sleep.” Magnar whispered to her across the fire.Loke made a noise of acknowledgement but continued making notes.At this point, Magnar put his blanket over her head and caught a glimpse of the text in her book. It was still hard for him to read and she had many notes in the margin. “Get some sleep.”The blanket on her head actually pulled her out of her deep focus. She frowned as she pulled it off of her head to see Magnar with his arms crossed looking rather upset at her. “Fine. I’ll go to sleep. But I’m pretty sure I was on the verge of something.”“Good. You can finish it tomorrow night.” He pointed to where her space was and took his blanket back. While he was grumpy that she wasn’t going to get much sleep at all and would probably be more difficult to deal with, he was glad Blu was getting some sleep. He didn’t have many reservations about him left at this point and he seemed to keep Loke in better spirits.Loke lost count of how many days they had been walking. They were all tired, but at least they had an actual hot meal the previous night. It didn’t taste like much, but food was food. Blu knew of at least a half dozen things in the forest alone he could have used to make the tapeti taste better, but he didn’t have the energy to complain about it. It was bland but not bad. Magnar estimated they were about two more days away from the port since the landscape transitioned from endless farmland into forests. The forests were closer to the river and once they crossed the river, it would be about another day or so to the port.Magnar was taking the first shift to update his map when Loke sat beside him and held her hands over the fire. He never noticed before, but her fingers looked like they were cut up and some looked burned. “Can’t sleep?”“No, not really. Your map is pretty good.” She had seen the one he used in Teo, but this one was being built from scratch and she didn’t realize he might have made the other ones as well. She felt a little bad about harassing him about it before.“Thanks.” He was suspicious that she complimented him, but let it slide. “Did you want to talk about something?” He was now worried about whatever it was she was going to spring on him. She hadn’t been this cooperative since the execution and at the end of that day he found himself murdering two people, stealing two bodies, and committing arson.“It’s complicated.” Loke played with a fray string on the finger hole of her one glove.“I know I’m a simple man, but try me.” Magnar put his map and pencil to the side to show he was paying attention.Loke side eyed him but let her gaze fall back to the fire as she let out a slow breath. “There’s really not a lot about the spirits. That much I knew. But what I managed to translate and test to a degree was that not only should there be a contract, but a person has to have an affinity for a particular elemental. I tried to fire Blu’s gun earlier and it wouldn’t. It wouldn’t even glow like it does for him. He has the affinity for it.”“Loke, if this is about what I said the other day…” Magnar hoped she wasn’t hurting herself on his account.She cut him off. “No, well, yes. But not entirely. It sparked some curiosity, so I felt the need to look into it. I tend to get absorbed in my work when that happens. But also, you’re getting rather expensive, so if I can cut back on how much I need to rely on you, maybe I can save a few taak in the process.”Magnar couldn’t help the laugh that came out. He was worried when she was being somewhat nice and almost considerate, but there was always that bite at the end.“Did I say something amusing?” Loke blinked at him curiously.Magnar shook his head. “No, actually, it’s fine. Don’t overwork yourself and get some sleep. A few more days and we’ll be able to actually sleep on a real bed.”Loke stood up and went back to her blanket, but not before she mumbled her current concern, “if I have any money left we will.”Despite being tired, hungry, and likely wanted criminals in Teo, they arrived at the bustling port in one piece. Though it was busy, as they looked closer, it didn’t seem like there were as many items being loaded on or off ships as they would have expected. Shops lined the main thoroughfare and while they were in dire need of supplies, they also needed passage across to Nich as well as somewhere to stay if they had to.“We should try and secure passage on one of these ships first.” Loke pointed toward the docks at the end of the street.“I’m actually inclined to agree. I hate to suggest it, but we should split up and while I try and get us on a ship, you two can start resupplying.” Magnar scratched at the back of his head as he looked down at the docks Loke pointed to. He had plenty of concerns about being separated from Loke, but his improving opinion of Blu let him make that suggestion.Loke and Blu looked at each other first, then to Magnar. Loke had a hard time believing he’d just let her wander around by herself. “Are you sure?”“I don’t think you can get into too much trouble here.” Magnar hoped, at least.“It should be ok for a little while. I don’t think the atmosphere here is as tense as Teo.” Blu was excited to see what some of the shops had, though he didn’t think he could actually afford anything.Loke tossed a few coins at Magnar in case he needed it and grabbed Blu’s arm. She smiled at Magnar with a wave eager to enjoy a brief bit of freedom. “We’ll be careful!”Magnar was worried about making that suggestion, but was relieved she was in better spirits as he watched her pull Blu towards the shops. He was worrying that a scowl was her default facial expression.Loke nearly bounced from shop to shop as Blu struggled to keep up. She hadn’t actually bought much, but he assumed she was just getting a feel for things. She seemed rather proud of herself with a block of clay and some sort of tools before Blu was able to catch up to her for good in a bookshop. Already she seemed lost into looking for something and since they were the only ones in this particular shop, Blu wasn’t worried about her getting into trouble. Though the bit of happiness he saw from her a short while ago seemed to have vanished.“Is something wrong, Loke?”Loke shook her head. “No. I should have expected they wouldn’t have anything I haven’t read or would be helpful.”“Maybe we should meet back with Magnar before we spend too much time shopping?” Blu looked out the window and it seemed like the same traffic, but he didn’t want to make Magnar worry more about them then he guessed he already was.Reluctant, Loke agreed and they found Magnar already waiting for them. “Did you buy anything?”Loke shrugged. “Clay for Blu’s gun. Did you find out anything useful?”“The ship leaves in two days. They were incredibly stubborn and I ended up having to bribe them with what you gave me.” Magnar wondered exactly how much she was carrying. She gave him quite a bit up front and what he used to bribe the ship captain was quite a lot as well.“Is that so?” Loke was disappointed he spent all of what he gave him but at least they had ample time to rest.Magnar saw the disappointment on her face. “If it’s a problem, take it out of my fee.”“I’ll consider it.” She was surprised he offered to cover the bribe.Blu didn’t have anything useful to add, but interrupted them before they got too involved in their disagreement. “Shouldn’t we find an inn?Content in an inn for the next few days, everyone was happy to finally be able to clean up and get plenty of rest. Loke rarely left her room and was entirely consumed with her attempts to harness any sort of spirit particles and when she needed a break, she used the clay to make more pellets for Blu. He tried one from her first batch and after its success, she at least found some comfort she wasn’t wasting her time. She still didn’t fully understand how the gun worked, but this was fine for now. Magnar actually didn’t mind that she kept herself holed up. It kept her safe and he was able to go with Blu to get things they would actually need. None of them knew what to expect in Nich and the few times Magnar tried to ask sailors, he got ignored or told to stay in Caax. Without much information, it was decided to make sure to bring extra food and hope for the best after that.Neither Magnar nor Blu had seen Loke much since they had been in this town. Each time one of them went to check on her, she was completely focused on her book or any of the number of papers that surrounded her. At one point Blu noticed she hadn’t even eaten the soup they had slid into her room and wondered if she even knew it was there. Her bed also didn’t look slept in and he was worried about her.“I don’t think she’s eaten or slept since we’ve been here.” Blu clicked her door closed quietly and whispered to Magnar in the hall.Magnar hadn’t bothered her since Blu had been doing most of the checking in since it seemed that he didn’t stress her out as much as he seemed to, but they were leaving in the morning and part of the reason they were here and not camping was to rest. He shooed Blu out of the way and opened her door fully, leaning on the frame with his arms crossed. “If you were going to spend all of your time doing this, I could have just taken you back to Holom.”Loke looked up. Her eyes were so red that her purple irises almost got lost in it. “What’s going on?”“You haven’t slept or eaten have you?” Magnar glanced down at the bowl by the door.Loke looked out the window then at the bowl. “I guess I ate yesterday?”“You’ll want a full meal before we leave tomorrow. Join us downstairs.” Magnar pushed himself off the doorframe and started to bend down to help her pick up the papers only to have her smack his hand before he could touch one. Her expression was enough to send chills down his spine and he relinquished the page and surrendered. He didn’t know what was so important about all of it but he found it best to leave it alone. “Come eat.”Loke did join them for dinner, but the entire meal was tense and silent. Blu was worried about Loke’s health and Magnar was worried he’d accidentally touch her book wrong and she’d skin him alive. Not that he thought she even could manage a thing, but he’d started to see a range of emotions from her the past few days, he wasn’t sure what she wasn’t capable of.“If you’ll excuse me.” Loke set her spoon down and left the table.Magnar didn’t even notice her eat much but all of her food was gone. He was relieved she ate but hoped she’d at least sleep. She certainly was looking worse than when they arrived at the port town.“I don’t think she’s well.” Blu whispered once she was gone. “She was paler than usual today.”Magnar nodded in agreement. “At least she’s eaten today. All we can hope for now is that she sleeps.”By morning, Loke was already waiting outside Blu and Magnar’s room, packed and ready to go. Gone was any indication of the same person they were worried about and while they both felt relieved, Magnar still couldn’t shake the image her angry eyes seared into his brain.Loke paid rest of the room fee and found a place to sit uncomfortably on the boat. It was a large shipping vessel and clearly not made for passengers, but they found a section near a stack of crates that would keep them out of the sailors’ way. Now all they could do was wait.
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Transport on the ship was a few days long journey, but it gave Loke plenty of time to continue researching what she had started in the port. By the time they arrived, she’d not made much progress and settled for crudely etching a symbol of protection onto one of the metal parts of her bracelet. She continued to struggle with further attempts to harness any sort of spirit particles for herself.Magnar had all the downtime he needed to transfer his notes onto a more permanent version of a map of Caax. He was quite pleased with the progress he had made and started to actually detail the edges. He wasn’t much of an artist, but patterns and shapes he could manage. When Blu caught a glimpse of his work, he was surprisingly impressed.Blu himself didn’t have much to do. Much of his time was spent watching Loke or Magnar working or leaning over the rails to watch the ocean. At the very least, he was glad to have left Teo and have some company. For the first time he thought he might have relaxed a little.The time for relaxing and self-indulgent projects had passed when they reached the port in Nich. First on their agenda was a warm, comfortable bed at the inn since sleeping on the deck on the open sea wasn’t comfortable or warm. After a decent meal, Blu chose to turn in while Magnar met in Loke’s room to discuss their strategy.“I don’t have any maps that would be useful here. At best I have this.” Magnar unrolled a map of Itzam that could barely be described as a map. “I saw it hanging back at the port in Caax and I recreated it myself. There’s not much other than port to port, but at least we know we’re in the south east of Nich.” He was trying to be optimistic and helpful but he knew it wasn’t constructive.Loke let out a small hum. “No, not really useful. It’s a safe guess to say that was where the port was. We could see it as we got closer to shore.” She didn’t mean to sound as dismissive as it came out. “But you’ll get the chance to expand it, so there’s that. According to one of the letters I received from a priest in Nich, there is a large lake that takes up most of the southern half of the country. His village was in the grasslands to the north. But of Liyas, he said that it is mostly an island in the middle of the lake connected to the mainland by a rather sizeable land bridge. He also speculated that the chancellor Quiri lived on a different island in the lake near Liyas proper.”Magnar liked to think Loke was trying to encourage him though he was certain she was mostly placating him. He wasn’t even sure why she cared what his thoughts were since now he is supposed to be a bodyguard, but he did appreciate her sharing what geographical information she did have. “So, what’s your plan?”“As much as I hate getting up early, most caravans will start before dawn. We should see if we can’t attach ourselves to one. Next time we burn down a significant portion of the landscape, we’ll use horses to make our getaway.”“I agree with the horses, but can we not burn anything else down?” Magnar crossed his arms and stared at her across the table.Loke frowned. “I was joking.”Pushing her dry attempt at humor aside, Magnar leaned back in the chair, still crossing his arms. “So we try and get aboard a caravan is plan A. I’m on board. What about plan B?”“We find out which way to go and start walking, I guess?” She was hoping for the first plan to work out. She dreaded the thought of having to make the trip on foot but her finances wouldn’t allow them more than a bribe or essential supplies.“Fair. But since you seem to know more than the rest of us, how risky is it?”Loke cocked her head to the side. “Risky?”“Risky. Blu barely knows anything and I’ve been keeping my practices under wraps for some time now, but you’re a bit more obvious about it. If anyone saw anything inside that book of yours, it screams Biyeho.” Magnar noticed that Loke slid the book closer to her when he mentioned it.“Well, probably less risky than Caax. There’s a lot fewer Biyeho here than before but with the non-aggression agreement, we may face some prejudices, but shouldn’t be assaulted for it.” Loke was mostly speculating and she knew Magnar was right that she was practically a beacon that screamed Biyeho, though she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of her agreement. “Most of the problem on both ends is from unjustified fears. Some of the stories about Biyeho that the Tumben tell are downright terrifying. There might be some truth within them, but it’s overshadowed by lies. The same happens in reverse. There are some rather distasteful Tumben tales that circulate that I’ve not known to be true. It’s likely that those that spread those stories are projecting their fears on others because of their own insecurities. Unfortunately that leads to group persecution.”Magnar had instant regrets about bringing up Biyeho, as Loke slid into an off topic tangent about it as she often did. He wondered if all the priestesses were like that or just Loke. She was enthusiastic about it, that was certain. “I just wanted to know how likely threats were going to be on this journey, Loke.”Loke nodded. “I have similar concerns. I also have concerns about the royal family in Tohil.” The last part she didn’t necessarily want to express aloud but it hung in the air for a brief moment.“What’s going on in Tohil?” He was curious to know how Loke seemed to know so much. She had previously mentioned that she wasn't really aware of worldly happenings, but their entire conversation was quite contradictory to his initial opinion of her.Loke sat upright with her eyebrows raised in surprise. “I thought everyone knew, so I’m astonished that you haven’t heard. Then again, it might not have come out your way if you weren’t in the cities. Supposedly, near the end of the wars in Nich and Kabra, there was a siege on the castle in Tohil and in exchange for their lives, the family converted to Tumben. The royal family had always been loyal believers, so Tumben’s leaders still don’t trust the royal family and suspect they practice Biyeho in secret. The Biyeho that remain in Tohil branded the whole family as traitors. I’m not entirely sure how Tohil is right now either.”“So regardless of what they believe there's no winning for them. I thought things in Caax were rough under Palen.” Magnar had heard something about Tohil at some point, but nothing ever had been specific and he couldn’t have guessed it was about the royal family.“Indeed. I also heard that the royal family has secluded themselves in the castle and haven’t been seen for a while. Some speculate that they’ve been murdered or are being held hostage. No one knows for sure.” Loke shook her head, feeling saddened for the situation the royal family must be in, but outside Holom, no one seemed to be in the clear.“I guess we’ll be heading that way next?” Magnar never expected this to be a world travelling job when he took it, but it wasn’t like he was doing anything else for the next few months.“Probably at some point. But I have a few things I wanted to look into before going there. It isn’t something I can wander into and magically fix. Not that I could really change everything on my own anyway. I need to see how things are, in general. If there are so few believers left, then any attempt to restore associations might be futile.”Magnar was wondering how much she was hiding. “What are your intentions for this trip, really? Because it sounds a lot more complicated than we discussed. I don’t mind taking you to places to talk things over with other Biyeho leaders, but if I’m putting myself out there for some significant risks, I want to make sure this isn’t for something trivial.”“It’s as I told you before. I am looking for other Biyeho so that we can try to figure out some sort of solution to the genocide. At least, that’s the gist of it.” Loke slouched into her chair.“So there IS more.” Magnar started to slam the table but re-crossed his arms and stopped himself short from glaring harder at her.“Yes and no. I mean, that is what I’m searching for, but as things come up, priorities may change. Like back in Teo, I was ready to abandon everything to take care of those souls because that was a higher priority for me. If other things come up, then I will reevaluate as necessary.”“So, if you come to find that numbers aren’t significant, then what? You let everyone continue to fend for themselves?” Magnar had been getting a little frustrated as the conversation progressed, and he was starting to finally show it.“You don’t need to get so angry. I’m one priestess in an expansive world here. I was too late to do anything in Teo other than see their souls off to be reborn. I don’t know what else awaits us, but I can only do so much on my own. Even the gods that may be among us can’t really do all that much. Without people to believe in them, they’re useless. They need people to believe in them to give them power and strength. Even if any of us happened to be a god, we probably wouldn’t know it, and we certainly wouldn’t be very powerful unless people left us offerings and held a strong belief in us. This is why the god of war and the god of protection are usually the strongest. People want to be protected in all situations, but when there is war, they want victory.” Loke was getting riled up at Magnar’s frustration but managed to keep herself mostly composed. “Do you have any great solutions?”“…No. But I think there should be more of a plan than wandering around Itzam. I don’t have the answer to what that is. Besides, I’m just a farmer, part-time bodyguard, and a wannabe cartographer. I can’t really say I’m versed in any sort of diplomatic affairs.”“Then leave the thinking to me and tomorrow we’ll figure out where we’re going. I feel bad about Blu though. He’s just a kid. He should have opted to stay home.”“It didn’t sound like he had much of a home. If his friends from the orphanage all got split because of this religion issue, then it might be better for him to be away from there. And he sticks around because he wants to. Don’t worry about that.” This still didn’t mean Magnar was completely without suspicions for him or the contraption he carried.“I suppose you’re right, but I am a bit curious about his weapon. I never heard of nor seen such a thing in any of the documents I’ve read, but I have a fair idea of how it works now. Blu surprisingly relinquishes it to me to examine.” Loke was certain she wouldn’t just hand off something potentially dangerous to a near stranger.“It seems pretty rare. I’m not too sure about something like that either, but if it works, then I’m not going to complain. Just as long as he doesn’t use it on us.”Loke shook her head. “I don’t think he will. He seems rather reliable.”Magnar didn’t respond to her comment. Loke’s naiveté toward dangers to her wellbeing was never ending and it was charming in its own way. But at the same time, it could easily put them at great risk. He had to keep a careful eye on both of them, which was stressing him out more than he liked.By dawn, Magnar had started asking caravans that were loading items for any sort of passage for the three of them. Loke and Blu were asking more general questions about Nich, but not finding any more information than Loke already had known. With no one having any sort of luck, they settled on their fate of having to set out on foot. They decided to try and follow one of the caravans as long as they could and the one piece of information they did learn was that the road east would eventually lead to Liyas.Following the caravan was a good idea, but terrible in practice. There was so much dust kicked up by the wheels that they fell farther and farther behind while they tried to avoid the dust clouds. Ultimately, they were left very far behind and on their own once again. Fortunately, the ground was fairly dry and it was simple enough to follow the tracks made by the caravan since everything looked the same and they couldn’t even tell this was an actual road. The group was fairly confident they were going in the right direction and though the area was sparse on landmarks or trees, it wasn’t overwhelmingly hot or cold or generally uncomfortable to travel. It was nearing sundown when they could see a structure off in the distance. Loke hoped it was the beginnings of a small village, but they also couldn’t exclude a military outpost or something completely unrelated. It looked like they wouldn’t reach it for another few hours, but they all agreed to push on and travel through the darkness instead of camping for the night. The moon was high that night which gave them plenty of moonlight to travel by.During the day, the wildlife of Nich was barely noticeable and certainly not aggressive. It seemed that the animals of Nich preferred the cover of night – particularly the birds. Holom had a few birds of night outside of the city. Caax had similar birds in the western farmland and a variety of different things in the east. Forests were notorious for owls, but they hadn’t been bothered by any on their trip so far. Nich had something similar to an owl, but far larger and much more aggressive. Though Magnar and Blu were getting good at taking them down, Magnar wasn’t without injury and both Loke and Blu worried the makeshift bandage on his arm wasn’t going to be enough. Once they figured out that the birds had a great distaste for fire, they scrounged up enough dried shrubs to carry a torch each to try and keep them at bay.Despite being slowed down by the birds Magnar was calling demon owls, they still arrived at what they were aiming for before too late. It was mixed relief and frustration when they arrived at an abandoned village. It was barely a shell of itself and it was impossible to tell how long it had been empty or what the reason was for it to be empty. It didn’t have any telltale signs of an invasion, so whatever caused it to be abandoned was merely a guess. The village itself appeared to have once been a stopping place for merchants. It had remnants of what seemed to have been an inn, a few shops, and a handful of homes. It was a very small outpost, but being on the major trading road, one would think it should still be prosperous.Exhausted from the day and night of the attacking demon birds, the group cautiously entered the abandoned inn and took shelter in some of the rooms that didn’t have missing windows or doors. It was ramshackle, but it was far more superior to being outside.“I don’t like this place. It doesn’t feel right.” Blu often looked a bit anxious, but this time he spoke for all of them.“I agree. I don’t think we should stay here too long. I hate to head out without rest, but I think we’re going to have to take what we can get here.” Magnar looked at the other structures from the window. It was hard to make anything out in the shadows.Loke didn’t respond to either of them, instead she was looking around at things in the room and started out into the hallway.“Hey, didn’t you hear us? Something here isn’t right. We should only rest for a few minutes and head out again.” Magnar called after her.Loke paused. “I heard you. But I don’t think it’s as bad as you say. Besides, I’m tired of those birds and you’re hurt. We’re staying until dawn. This place doesn’t seem to have been abandoned too long ago. I’m going to see if there is anything edible downstairs.”Magnar looked at Blu and they both got up and followed her out. Neither wanted to be left alone and she certainly wasn’t going to be safe on her own. She was more likely than either of them to walk into a trap or something worse.Down in the kitchen, Loke was looking through crates and barrels but didn’t find much luck in digging up something edible. It had obviously been scoured long before, but she wasn’t ready to give up.“We have food upstairs if you want something. Blu has some left over dried boar meat. You can snack on that.” Magnar stood in the stairwell and watched her rummage.“Yeah, I have plenty of that,” Blu confirmed.Loke looked at them, puzzled at why they were acting jumpy. “Are you two alright? Just because it’s a ghost town, doesn’t mean it’s full of ghosts.”“It could be, though.” A soft baritone voice echoed through the dining room of the inn.Magnar instantly pulled his sickle and Blu placed his hand on his gun. Loke nearly jumped out of her skin but as she was already holding a barrel lid, she held it up in defense.“Who’s there? Who are you?” Magnar wasn’t taking any chances with the voice and wasn’t going to let Loke’s foolishness get them killed by some poltergeist.A tall man with a few scars on his face slowly stepped forward and, from what they could see in the dark, he looked like he needed a good bath. “You should be more polite when entering someone’s home, you know.”From behind the barrel lid, Loke was the one to apologize. “I’m sorry; we didn’t realize anyone was here. The entire outpost looked abandoned. If you don’t mind, could we possibly seek shelter for the evening? The three of us are traveling to Liyas.”“For what reason are you going to Liyas?” The man ignored Magnar's questions right out and pressed Loke for more information since she was rather forthcoming.Magnar was worried that Loke would say something stupid and get them into danger. He was relieved she didn’t totally disclose everything. Loke wasn’t exactly someone who could lie, he surmised long ago, but just in case, he was going to take over the conversation. “We’re not having much luck in our own hometown finding food and other items, so we were hoping to find something better in the city.”The man burst out laughing. The travelers were all nervous and worried about what was going to happen next and the man’s laughter didn’t seem to help all that much. “Relax. I’m not going to hurt any of you. I’m also wandering around and I don’t actually live here either. But one of you smells like blood.”Magnar subconsciously put his hand to his arm where one of the birds had injured him earlier.“You there, the one with the dark hair. It seems you got hit by one of the Kiich. You should let me take a look at that.” The man pointed at Magnar.He raised his sickle and took a defensive stance “Why should I? And what’s a Kiich?”“My apologies. My name is Dias Meulo. I’m a doctor. I also don’t really care about your reasons for being here.” Dias lightly shook his head. “A Kiich is a type of owl that is particularly aggressive when anything enters its domain, regardless of size or purpose. That’s mostly why this area is largely unpopulated and people only travel during the day.”“How do we know we can trust you?” Magnar wasn’t about to let up his defensive stance.Loke had taken the time during the conversation to shuffle back towards Magnar and Blu. She leaned in closer to Magnar to whisper to him. “Maybe you should let him take a look at that. It seemed pretty bad earlier.”“It’s fine. We just need to change the dressing. Stay behind me, He’s probably up to something.” Magnar stepped further in front of Loke.“I don’t know what I can offer for you to believe me. Like I said, I’m traveling around. But I was a war doctor, so I do know my way around wounds on the battlefield, even if it is a battlefield with those birds. Besides, for those looking for food, since all the crops in Caax seemed to have been eaten by chipmunks, you don’t have a lot of options out here, do you?”“Magnar… he knows the thing…” Loke whined at him. He didn’t look behind him to see her expression, but he could hear it in her voice.“Fine. But any weird moves and you’ll taste my sickle.” Magnar lowered his sickle.“Of course, I wouldn’t expect otherwise. Let’s go upstairs. I have an actual lantern up there. It’s hard to work in the dark. We can do all our proper introductions there.” Dias smiled and gestured toward the stairs.Magnar stepped aside. “You first.”Dias bowed and led the way up the stairs to a locked room. It looked like he had been living there for a little while when everyone got a good look at the room after he lit the lantern. “It isn’t much, but it’s been my home for a few months now. I get a few supplies from the merchants passing through. Occasionally some of them are in need of some mending, so I trade that for food and water. So, farmer from Caax, you sit here and I’ll take care of that gash. You need some stitches.”“My name is Magnar.” He seemed indignant, but was also complying rather well. “How did you know I’m a farmer from Caax?”“Well, Magnar, I can tell you that while you have a generally neutral dialect, some of your vowels give you away as from Caax. The farming thing was a guess by your choice of weapon, your build, and your tan. You seem to have your wits about you, which is good. But not every situation is risky or dangerous. The young lady over there was able to sense that there really wasn’t a risk even if she was acting defensively, but you two were quite nervous inside, weren’t you?”Blu was mostly standing behind Loke the entire time in the room, but he was fascinated by how he was tending to Magnar’s wound with such calm and ease. His eyes never shifted away from Dias while he worked.“I’m sorry to interrupt, Dias, was it?” Loke had more pressing things to get to, even if the others didn’t like it.“Yes?” He barely glanced at her and focused on stitching Magnar’s arm.Loke took a deep breath, not knowing where someone on Nich would have heard a thing very specific to Caax if she didn’t know about it in nearby Holom. “Were you serious about the chipmunks?”“I’m quite serious about the metaphor, but as far as real chipmunks, no. But as a doctor, it doesn’t matter if you believe in one god or one thousand gods. I am to take care of the injured in the living world. Does that answer your question?”“I suppose. As you could tell, we aren’t from Nich. Personally, I’m a high priestess from Holom City, Loke Aumoe. I’m looking for any information I can get on other Biyeho, which is why I’ve come to Nich.”Dias tied off the last stitch and turned to Loke and bowed. “It is an honor to be in your presence.”Loke waved her hands in front of her. “Please, don’t be formal. I was never good at formalities outside of rituals and ceremonies. Loke is fine.”“Oh, then, Loke, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Dias turned back to Magnar and neatly tied a bandage around his arm. “You won’t find out much here in the grasslands and I’m afraid there might not be all that much in Liyas for you, either. Although they haven’t had a heavy purge like the one going on in Caax, most believers either perished in the war or flat out abandoned Nich altogether. As for those remaining, it is being handled on a more silent scale. Essentially, people are simply disappearing. You’ll do well not to travel openly if you wish to remain in this existence.”Loke looked disappointed and Magnar moved himself far from Dias. Blu patted Loke on the back to try to comfort her, but he remained completely fixated on Dias.“But, I do know of some things that might make you a little happier. We can talk about it over breakfast. For now you guys can get some rest in any of the other empty rooms.” Dias wanted them to at least stick around until morning.“And you won’t try to murder us?” Loke wanted to confirm.Dias held up a hand. “May the god of permanence strike me dead if I do.”Loke was quite satisfied with that answer. Permanence wasn’t someone brought up lightly, so at the very least, she wasn’t going to be murdered in her sleep.“One last thing before you all go. The shy one behind the priestess,” Dias pointed at Blu. “What should I call you?”“Blu. Um, what you did with Magnar’s wound was really impressive.” Blu didn’t move from behind Loke.Dias smiled at Blu. “That was nothing, but thank you. Loke, Blu, Magnar, please get some rest. Please believe that I do not intend to harm you in any way so that you may rest easy and recover your strength.”“Thank you very much, Dias. May the blessings of the god of health be upon you.” Loke was almost too excited to sleep, but her body was telling her she was at her limits. She led the way out of Dias’ room and to the one they had set their gear in. “Everyone, I’m sorry tonight was really weird, but we were lucky to run into someone to treat that wound. I was worried about it.”“It wasn’t that bad.” Magnar intentionally didn’t look at her and dropped himself into bed.“You winced the whole time he stitched you up.” Blu countered.Magnar shot a glare at Blu. “That wasn’t necessary Blu.”Loke fought her laughter until she couldn’t hold it anymore. Once she started to laugh, Blu joined in and eventually, so did Magnar. The tension in the room released and everyone was able to have a comfortable night, even if the town was abandoned and there was a creepy looking doctor across the hall.The next morning, Dias had already made a semi-decent breakfast spread, although the taste was not anywhere near Blu’s level of cooking. He noticed he wasn’t the only one up early, as he watched Magnar roam from building to building through the inn’s front window. Blu was up shortly after Dias and kept watch on him from a distance, trying to stay hidden as best as he could. He was marveled by how smoothly and quickly he stitched up Magnar, he really wanted to learn more. Loke, however, was the only one who seemed to sleep without a care in the world, and it wasn’t until breakfast was almost ready that the smell had woken her from her slumber.Magnar didn’t even glance at Loke when she came down. “It’s about time you woke up. I was going to eat your portion if you didn’t though.”Loke ignored Magnar and took a look at everything that was laid out. “This looks and smells fantastic. I can’t imagine where you hid all of this food. But you must be short on supplies; you didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”“It was no trouble. A caravan is likely to pass through later today, so I can negotiate for some more. Please, all of you, have a good breakfast.”While they ate, Blu tried to secretly add some seasoning to his plate, but Dias managed to see from the corner of his eye. He hadn’t thought to use what Blu was using, and while it was a little disheartening to see someone alter his food, he took note to try and improve his own cooking abilities.“So, while our priestess was up there napping away, I took a look around town. There’s a tool shed around back that has some equipment in surprisingly good shape. Dias, do you think it would be alright if I took one of the tools from the shed? I mean, I don’t think anyone is using them here, but since you seem to be the entire village, I figured I would ask.” Magnar was itching to get himself something better to swing at those birds.“Help yourself. I am only here temporarily and will probably be moving on soon. There may be other supplies in some of the other shops if things of that nature interest you. No one would be here to collect any sort of money for it, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s up for the taking.”Loke’s ears perked up. She doubt there wouldn’t be much of anything useful left, but she was in dire need of inspiration and liked the fact it wouldn’t cost her anything additional. “Dias, I wanted to ask, what was it that you were about to mention last night? Something that would make us happier?” She had been wondering about it since their conversation the night before.Dias pushed his glasses further up his nose. “Ah, yes. Since a lot of merchants travel through here on the way to Liyas or from Liyas to the port, there have been things that I’ve overheard recently. I don’t think traveling all the way to Liyas will be all that beneficial for you, but you may want to catch a ship to Yopa. I’ve heard a few people mention an entire village of believers that moved from Nich. It might be relevant to your interests, at least.”“That sounds right up your alley, Loke. Wanna backtrack? Though, I don’t know if Yopa has a direct port that doesn’t involve going back through Caax. It might be too early for them to have forgotten about us.” Magnar was still had concerns about them being wanted in Teo.“Let me think about it for today. I think we should rest here while we can and I’ll decide later tonight.” Loke didn’t want to waste time walking to Liyas if there wasn’t anyone to be found, but she also was hesitant to accept a rumor from someone she just met and Magnar didn’t seem to trust.“Fair enough. Blu, any thoughts?” Magnar and Loke had been discussing most things without him and it seemed that he wasn’t going to leave them anytime soon, so it might be a good time to include him.Blu shook his head. “No. But I think staying here today is a good idea.” He really wanted to learn some useful medical tips from Dias before the group departed if at all possible.After breakfast, Blu helped Dias clean up and tried to gather the courage to ask him about first aid. It was met with initial reluctance but eventually Dias resigned to at least teach him basic first aid. Blu was elated as he was now going to be more useful to Loke and Magnar. Magnar went back to the shed and to get a better feel for which tools he would want to bring along before he utilized the sharpening stone to rid them of rust and dullness. Loke went through each abandoned building after Dias assured both Magnar and Blu no one else was in this outpost and she’d be perfectly fine on her own.Inside one of the residences, Loke found an abandoned family altar. It had been too long since she was able to give a proper offering that wasn’t just off to the side on the floor and discreet. She only had minimal supplies with her, but it was enough. She put some of the dried herbs she carried into an intricate pattern on the altar and lit the candle that had been left behind. Without much to actually offer, she still asked the god of travelers to guide them along the right path and to keep them safe along it as well as the gods of knowledge and creativity to give her some sort of inspiration for how to utilize spirit particles to additionally protect herself if the need were to arise. The candle had gone out on its own as she was finishing her request and she took that as a good omen that someone had heard her.As she was leaving that home, a painting that must have fallen off the wall some time ago caught her attention. Loke picked up the painting and studied it. Something seemed familiar about it but she couldn’t quite place it. For now, she carefully removed it from the frame and slipped it into the middle of her book. She poked around the other houses but didn’t find much of anything useful and continued to think about the symbols on the painting. She was coming across Magnar mapping the street when she was hit with her own inspiration. He gave her a curious look as she suddenly ran past him, but didn’t think much about it.Behind the inn, Loke was sitting on the stairs and had the painting sitting beside her as she flipped through pages. She was mad she didn’t recognize the one right away as it was what she was carving into clay for Blu all this time. If color seemed to be any indication of the other symbols, then it suggested that each of the different color symbols on the painting was for a different spirit. “Bless the gods,” she whispered before working out some of her theories for the rest of the afternoon.As it started to get dark, Dias had left the inn in search of some sort of small animal to help with educating Blu and noticed Loke still diligently working with a strange set up of farm tools. Without drawing any attention to himself, he watched her set up a hoe, string tied to the top end so she could pull it forward from where she had positioned herself. Loke had a complex symbol he’d never seen before drawn in the dusty road in front of her, but he couldn’t tell what it was. Once she was situated, Loke pulled the string to have the hoe fall toward her and immediately began an incantation. Dias had no idea what she was doing, but before the hoe could fall and hit her, he noticed it nearly stop mid fall. It wasn’t a complete stop, but it was clearly moving much slower than it should. Stepping aside while the hoe took its time falling to avoid being hit, she wiped her brow with her arm and put her hands on her hips, feeling a sense of accomplishment. As the hoe fell, Dias stepped around the corner applauding her efforts.“That was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And believe me when I say that I’ve seen quite a lot.”“I would say that was nothing, but it’s taken me all day to get to this point.” Loke peeled off her gloves and was shaking the dust off of them.Dias took notice of her appearance in the dim light of dusk. Her hands were bruised and scarred, with a few newer burns and her clothing was completely covered in dust. “Are you alright, though? I’d like to take care of the burns on your hand.”She looked at her hands. She usually wore gloves around the others, so no one ever really commented about them. “It’s fine. I don’t have much of an affinity for the lightning elementals. Earth either, for that matter.” It was then she realized how much she really wanted a good bath.“No excuses. Please finish and return soon. I want to check over those wounds anyway.”Loke reluctantly agreed and asked for Magnar to come join her for a few moments before she cleaned up for the night.Magnar wandered out of the inn a few moments after Dias returned and looked at Loke curiously. “What’s up? Why so dirty?”“I didn’t have much luck with it, but maybe you will. Please pick up that hoe and try to use it as you would if that stack of barrels were attacking you.”He didn’t know what she was getting at, but he took a hesitant swipe at the barrels, intentionally missing it. “So? That didn’t do anything. What are you trying to do?”“Wait a second.” Loke picked up a second hoe. “Try this one.”Magnar wasn’t sure what she was up to, but he did as she said and as he swung toward the barrels, a stream of dust came off the road and the pebbles and dust bounced off of the barrels. “What just happened?”Loke was quite excited and bounced slightly. “I engraved something on the second hoe. It seems you have an affinity for earth elementals. I don’t, which resulted in quite a bit of blowback, which is why I’m covered in dust. If you would like, I can do the same for the tools you chose earlier.”“I’m genuinely impressed. I didn’t expect you to actually do something when you set out to be more useful. Engrave all you’d like.”“I have a few other things I’ve been working on, but for tonight, I need a good bath and to sleep. I still haven’t thought too much about Yopa.”“Well, make that decision soon since if we have to leave, we should do it early. It’s only a matter of which direction.” Magnar secretly hoped to continue through Nich to work on his maps, but expanding northern Caax and Yopa were similarly enticing. “Everyone else has used the bath, so it should be freed up. Blu’s making something to eat so it should be ready when you’re done.” Magnar headed back to the inn, taking the hoe with him. It no longer seemed like a worthless tool to be left behind.Loke cleaned up her work space and headed back to the inn to hopefully get all the dust out of her hair and to relax a little bit. Her thoughts were racing and she wasn’t really able to relax at all. She could smell Blu’s cooking downstairs, so she finished her bath and headed to the room to find something clean to put on since she washed her clothes and had them hanging on a line in the bathroom to dry. She found a cloth to wrap around her, but it barely seemed to cover everything. It wasn’t far between the rooms and she assumed everyone was downstairs. She explicitly told Magnar to not come upstairs and since Blu was cooking, it should have been fine. Except that when she opened the door to see Dias standing there waiting for her, everything was not fine.“Wh-what are you doing here?” She clenched at the cloth to try and hide herself even more within it. Her entire body flushed red and she inched closer and closer to her room.“I wanted to take a look at your injuries. I don’t mean any ill intent."Loke’s shuffle speed increased until she reached the door to the room. “Now isn’t a good time. Please, just let me be.” She slipped into the room and slammed the door shut.Dias sighed and walked across the hall to his room and sat in his chair, watching the door. He was concerned about the burns, and if she was hiding that from the others, then she might have other serious injuries she was hiding. Although, from what he had seen of her just now, it didn't seem to be the case.Loke emerged in a pull over dress, tied at the waist with a simple belt. It must have been a patron or villager’s outfit once. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Dias waiting for her. “Can it wait until after we eat, please?” He was starting to make her nervous and Loke wondered if she misjudged him after all.Dias nodded and stood to follow her downstairs. He didn’t understand why she was being so reluctant, but between her being suddenly jumpy and Blu not wanting to leave his side, he wondered what the dynamics of this group were really like. It was the complete opposite of the night before.Dinner progressed mostly well. Magnar was excited about the upgrades Loke made to the hoe and everyone praised Blu’s cooking, rendering Blu somewhat embarrassed. He did share some of his cooking tips so that hopefully the food would taste better when others cooked. Loke didn’t say much during the meal at all and Dias was worried that she still was hiding her hands from the group. How many pairs of gloves was she carrying in her pack anyway? The ones she had on looked almost new.As Blu began to clean the dishes away, Loke had come to her decision. “Everyone, I think that we should go to Yopa. However, I do think that maybe we should wait another day before doing so. I have a little more work that I would like to do here before leaving. Would that be alright?”Magnar was being paid regardless, so he was actually a little surprised she was asking for anyone’s approval. He shrugged, as he was at her mercy anyway. Blu simply nodded and went back to the dishes.“Company for one more night isn’t such a bad thing. I will see if I can get any of the caravans to give off some extra goods tomorrow for your trip.” Dias headed upstairs but paused half way to address Loke briefly before disappearing upstairs.“Loke, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to speak with you.”“What’s that all about?” Magnar whispered to her.Loke was starting to fidget, but took off one of her gloves and spoke in a low whisper back. “Could you come with me when I talk to him? I should have told you guys sooner, but he wants to take a look at my hands. I don’t feel very comfortable around him alone, so if you would please…”Magnar took a look at her exposed hand and fought back the urge to grab it. “How long have these been like this? These look pretty terrible. You don’t need to try so hard, you know?”“It isn’t a big deal, really.” She put her glove back on. “Just don’t tell Blu, ok?”“Fine. But we’re going up there right now. It’s been a day and already my arm has really come a long way. Even I have to admit he’s got skills.”Loke stood up silently and started up the stairs, Magnar close behind her. “Hey, Blu, sorry we didn’t help you out, but I’m gonna tag along with Loke to chat with Dias.”“It’s alright. We had a chance to talk a lot today.” Blu and Dias didn’t really get to exchange much in the way of actual conversation, but he did learn a little about first aid and he got to watch Dias dissect a rat and stitch it back up. He had a long way to go to be nearly as good as Dias, but he still was happy he had the chance.Up in Dias’ room, Loke hesitantly sat on a chair that was positioned close to Dias. Magnar was invited to sit on the bed, which he declined and lingered behind Loke. Loke hesitantly took off both gloves revealing a number of recent burns and some that were a few days older that Magnar recognized. There were also some cuts and her fingers had numerous paper cuts on the tips. “How did you get so many burns?”“I told you earlier, I don’t seem to have an affinity for most spirits. The older burns, specifically, are from trying to duplicate the pellets for Blu’s gun and the ones from today were from trying to work with other types. Fire in particular was unpleasant. The cuts on my arm are from testing a wind-based idea.”Dias started to apply an ointment to the fresh wounds. “And the fingertips?”“Those are from the book.” Loke stated as if it was the most obvious thing.“She’s always in that thing, Dias. Always. But, it seems to be her thing.” Magnar chimed in.Dias frowned. She had so many cuts and burns. “Neither of you noticed any of this?”Magnar shook his head. “Just minor things, nothing this bad.” She always wore her gloves when he was around, he didn’t know she ever took them off. They were fingerless, so he figured she had plenty of tactile sensation the way they were.Loke was surprised he’d noticed anything.“Don’t keep things like this from them. You hired Magnar to protect you, right? Then let him do what you’re paying him to do. If you let something happen to you, he’ll just feel guilty that he failed, when it was your fault for keeping silent.”Loke didn’t say much of anything and despised being lectured while she let him patch up her hands. After coating what he could with some herbal ointments, he wrapped her hands in bandages. “That about does it. Do either of you want a full look over?”Magnar tapped his arm. “Nah, I think I’m good to go.”Loke held up her bandaged hands to look them over. He wrapped them in their entirety, including her fingertips. “How long does this need to stay like this? I wanted to do some engraving tomorrow.”“A day or so. You should still be able to do most things that way. I didn’t make it too tight so your fingers can move easily.”Loke still frowned as she wiggled her fingers and stood up. “I’m going to turn in early.” She didn’t know if she should thank him or be upset at him. For now, she wanted to lie down and sleep to ignore her stress.After Loke left, Magnar thanked Dias and followed Loke across the hall. “He was right, you know. If you went and set yourself on fire or something, I would have blamed myself. Plus, I wouldn’t have gotten paid, which would’ve been worse.”Loke crawled under the quilt. Being lectured once was bad enough, now two of them were doing it and she felt even guiltier. “I don’t want to discuss it any more tonight. Just leave the tools you want me to engrave near the entrance. Goodnight.”“Yeah, ok.” Magnar wasn’t going to argue with her anymore, and headed down to see if Blu still needed help, but ran into him in the stairway. “I guess everything’s all done.”“Yeah. Everything ok up there? Where’s Loke?” Blu looked a little worried.“She headed to bed early. I guess she had a rough day.”Blu looked over to her sleeping and noticed her fingers sticking up through the quilt. “Hey, Magnar, is she alright? Her fingers are all bandaged.” He whispered as he didn’t wake her up especially since she didn’t seem to sleep as much as they did.Magnar wanted to let him know the whole story, but since she asked him to specifically not tell Blu, he thought of something to deflect the questions. “Just some paper cuts from going through the book all the time. Nothing serious.”Blu looked a little closer at her while she slept. “Did she always have those marks under her eyes? I don’t remember seeing them before.”“I don’t think so? I mean, I don’t make it my business to stare at her, so I can’t say, but now that you mention it, I kinda see it now. I wouldn’t bring it up with her, though. She seemed upset enough about Dias bringing up the cuts on her fingers.”Blu nodded. “That explains why she avoided citrus at the fruit merchant.”“Could be. Sounds reasonable.”Loke got up in the middle of the night while everyone slept and went downstairs to work on Magnar’s chosen equipment. With her fingers bandaged, she was having a hard time getting comfortable with the process and it was taking her a lot longer than it should have if she didn’t have them all taped up. It was nearly dawn when she finished the sickle he usually carried and hadn’t been able to get to the pitchfork. She snuck back upstairs and into bed before anyone else was up, but Dias was already awake and noticed her going back into the room through a broken panel in the wall. He was relieved she didn’t remove her bandages, but was concerned about her actions. It was good they delayed departure a day, but he was worried about the group dynamics and her health. What intrigued him the most about Loke was her ability to embed abilities into Magnar’s tools and recreate ammunition to what looked like some mystical weapon for Blu. Whatever method she used to stop the hoe from falling was also quite mysterious and he started having suspicions about her. He wanted to know more about her and if all of this was related to her being a high priestess or if there were other factors at play.After another day of rest and weapon modification, the group packed their things and prepared to set out in the early morning hours. They needed to return to the port before the day was out so that they could minimize exposure to the kiich and see what they could find out in Yopa. As they were about to leave, Dias was following them out with a supply pack of his own.“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought I might accompany you to Yopa.”Loke looked at Magnar and Blu. Blu looked a little bit excited, but was clearly trying to not to look over eager. Magnar gave a shrug before walking along the road. Loke gave a reluctant smile and swung her arm open wide. “You’re welcome to join us. Where in Yopa are you heading?”“Hm, not too sure. But I’m not doing all that much here and your group seems rather interesting. For now, I figured I would tag along and I can offer some first aid. You seem like a crowd that would need my assistance quite often.” Dias was quite eager to learn more about this group and their dynamic.“Hey, you guys going to stand there and chat or are we going to Yopa?” Magnar shouted back at the three that hadn’t really made any moves to leave.After catching up to Magnar, the now group of four made their way back along the road they had traveled a few days before. The group only encountered a few stray animals that didn’t really want them around, but it gave everyone a chance to get used to their newly acquired weapons or skills.“Dias, you can fight with scalpels?” Blu was already amazed at his medical skills, but Dias’ use of scalpels as throwing knives fascinated him.“I suppose it’s like Magnar, where I use what I am comfortable using. I never was really strong enough to handle the heavy weaponry the soldiers used.”Loke tried watching him in the few skirmishes they had and was already trying to figure out how she could improve his weapons. She had some ideas, but she wasn’t certain and she wasn’t sure he would even allow her to do any modifications. She would wait a little to ask, but she did want to try and do something to repay his generosity from earlier, even if the atmosphere around him felt off.It was late when the group got back to the port. They had a few kiich encounters, but they went far smoother with the addition of Dias and the improved weaponry. The group was enjoying a long overdue meal at the inn when they overheard a few people talking about happenings in Caax.“So, did you hear about what happened in Teo?”“No! What happened?”“Apparently one of those believers got in and set fire to half the city! There were so many burned corpses found in one area! It looked like they were sacrificing people to their gods for a while. I really hope they find the culprits. Why would someone do such a horrible thing?”Loke’s face drained of color and she went completely silent. She knew that wasn’t the truth, but parts of it weren’t completely untrue. The bodies were her kinsmen who had been mercilessly executed without reason. She did start the fire, but that was to release their souls. She had the same question as those they were listening to, but in reverse. Why would they do such a horrible thing?Dias noticed Loke’s immediate reaction and looked at Magnar and Blu. Magnar was eating as if nothing was wrong and Blu looked a little bit uncomfortable. He was about to try and distract them from the other conversation when Loke stood.“I’m sorry, but I need to excuse myself for now. Please, finish without me.”Loke left and went back to her room. Dias wanted to know what exactly happened, but obviously, this was not the place to discuss it.“Is she going to be alright?” Blu was just as nervous, but he also worried about Loke. She was overly concerned about all the believers and he supported what they all did in Teo, but he worried about how Loke was going to handle what others were saying.“She’ll be fine. She probably hasn’t been sleeping much and she hasn’t been eating a lot either. Maybe her need for sleep beat out her need for food.” Magnar was almost done with his meal, but while he was trying to make himself seem aloof about the entire situation, he also worried about what she might be doing. He finished his meal ahead of Dias and Blu and excused himself and headed back to the rooms.“Hey, you alright?” Magnar knocked as he pushed the door open.Loke was lying in the bed, her back to the door. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she should at least acknowledge his presence – except she ended up talking a lot more than she intended. “I’m fine. I didn’t want to listen to them anymore. They don’t understand and I’m powerless to try and educate them. All I want to do is explain what we believe in and that we’re not all savages. They’re blinded to the savages within their own faith and won't listen to anything else.”Magnar sat on the end of her bed. “Look, I don’t think it’s going to get much better from here. You want to find other believers, right? There’s got to be plenty that feel like you do also. I mean, you wanted to find others to figure out how to address all this animosity, right? But if you want to go home now, I’ll make sure you get to Holom safely.”“Can you just let me be for a bit, please?”Magnar got up and headed to the door. “We’re at least heading back to Caax in the morning, so figure out what you want to do. I’m going to keep an eye on the other two.”Magnar found Dias and Blu conversing with the two who were gossiping about Teo and couldn’t have been happier Loke kicked him out instead of coming back to dinner. “What’s going on here?”Dias smiled. “We were just talking to these young ladies about what it is like in Teo, since I’ve never had the opportunity to visit.”“Is that so?” Magnar sat down, hesitantly.“It’s a fantastic city. Have you been, Mister?” The girl that had all the gossip addressed Magnar.“I’m a little familiar with it. I wouldn’t know what it is like to live there, though.” Magnar understood Loke’s discomfort, but he didn’t think she would be able to handle a conversation like this smoothly at all and was relieved she had gone to the room.“It’s so great! I mean, except for those pesky believers that keep insisting that they’re not dangerous, but it’s hard to argue that it’s so much safer since so many have been rousted out. Right, Tuus?”Tuss, the friend of the gossiper that was learning about events in Caax, agreed silently.“So, there shouldn’t be any problems for a traveler, such as myself, or even for my friends?” Dias grinned.“It should be a great time! We have a lot of really good local produce too! We’re really known for our farms.”Magnar didn’t feel like listening to her glorify things that weren’t worthy of such words. The city was only safe on the surface and while they usually had great produce, this year was doing quite poorly. “I’m going to see if there isn’t something I can get for my friend in case she wakes up hungry.” Magnar left the table and wandered to the bar. He watched the table from the bar while waiting for a bowl of soup to be prepared for Loke. Dias seemed to have engaged the girls rather well, but Blu looked quite uncomfortable throughout the entire conversation. Once the soup was ready, he took it back to the room and set it on the table, mentioning that it was there before working on his maps to take his mind off of things for a while.Loke heard him mention the soup, and while she was still a little hungry, she didn’t have much of an appetite. She knew that this was such a minor thing in regards to her tasks, but she couldn’t help but be so directly affected. It was another hour or so before Blu came back, also mentally exhausted.“I don’t know how Dias can talk to them so freely and not get so upset. I can’t imagine how bad Loke feels about what they said, but I know that some of the things I heard made me feel really bad.” He glanced over at Loke, who hadn’t moved and eventually had fallen asleep. “Is she going to be alright?”“Probably. I think this was something she knew would happen, but when it actually came about this way, she was overwhelmed. Also, she has been working too hard to improve our chances with those animals out there.”“You both seem to argue about things a lot, so I didn’t think you cared too much about her.” Blu was mostly staring at what Magnar was working on.“She’s my paycheck. I gotta make sure she’s fine and safe or else I don’t get paid. I’m actually a little surprised you’re still risking your neck with us.” Magnar stretched in the chair from being hunched over for so long.“I have nothing else to do.” Blu had more to say, but he didn’t really want to talk too much to Magnar. He would rather talk with Dias or even Loke, but tonight he was ready to turn in himself.Magnar was about done all he could do on his map when Dias finally came back, trying very hard to keep silent. “Welcome back. Have fun with the young girls?”“Hardly. But I learned a little information. We should all get some sleep. The ship leaves rather early tomorrow. Did Loke end up eating more?”“She got up at one point and ate half the bowl before going back to sleep. She didn’t say anything though. She took it all pretty hard.”“Could you explain what happened in Teo? I imagine it isn’t anything like the girls described.”Magnar explained everything as briefly as he could, not going into too many details, but enough to get Dias caught up on their plight.“I see. That explains a lot of what both of them were saying. Though, it does seem as though the fire did spread into the city for a bit. We’ll talk more as a group before leaving in the morning.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Dias changed his mind about talking more about Teo in the morning. Instead, they boarded their ship and Magnar laid out his map of Caax to decide their route to Yopa. They opted to stay along the coastline and northern border as best as they could until they reached the Great Southern Bridge. There were several villages and the rare city along the way that they could probably find a place to stay without alerting too many people. Magnar warned that this area was hit hardest by the poor crops, that there were likely to be bandits and other disgruntled people along the way and it would be good to pay a lot of attention to their surroundings. People would be desperate and visitors are often an easy target. Their desperation made them less likely to be turned in to Teo, but they were a target nonetheless. Without much to do, Dias decided to pry a little into everyone’s motivations. He was already aware of Blu’s desire to be part of something and less lonely but he still wondered if Loke wasn’t hiding something more and why Magnar was sticking around on what seemed like a futile endeavor.He found Loke reading as usual next to a pile of crates. He had no doubt she was quite honest and simplistic in her beliefs, but he was a bit disappointed that she didn't seem to share any potential gossip about the others when he tried to talk to her before. She always seemed lost in thought but surely she had to have opinions outside of the religion."So, why did you hire Magnar for this job?" Dias sat beside Loke.Loke barely looked up from her book and answered him directly. She was looking for something specific and didn't really feel like any idle chatter. It was distracting. "He was the first to take the contract. That's all. Everyone else saw the amount and figured it was too risky once they heard it was to go to Teo.""That's all?" Dias thought there might have been more than something so simple."Yes, that's all." Loke wondered why Dias would even care. He was sticking around on his own account and she wasn't about to pay him anything, even if he was rather helpful.Dias was disappointed. "Given everything you've been through, would you hire him again?"Finally, she glanced up. "Are you looking to me to make a recommendation? He's been quite capable and is earning his wages quite well. I also find him quite trustworthy, which is important as I am entrusting my life to his hands.""Oh? How about me?" Dias grinned but Loke felt it was more creepy than sincere.Loke sighed and closed her book. "Honestly, Dias, I trust you to an extent. I don't doubt you are on our side, but I also feel like you're consistently fishing for information that isn't necessarily relevant to anything and that does cause me a bit of concern. And I would rather not speak of others behind their backs." Dias didn't expect such brutal honesty, though he did expect her to be truthful. He mostly expected her to be more gentle about it. He didn’t realize how perceptive she was about him. It was quite clear he was bothering her, so he let the conversation go and went to find someone else to bother.After his dissatisfaction with getting information from Loke, Dias went to find Magnar. If she trusted him entirely, then maybe it was time to see how trustworthy he really was. He found Magnar watching the sea from the side of the boat and leaned over the rail to join him."We should reach the port tomorrow it seems."Magnar was bored watching the sea and wanted to be able to get to their next destination sooner than later. "That’s good. I’m worried about how long it is going to take us to get through Caax to the bridge to Yopa. It won’t be too bad if we can move at a good pace, but Loke doesn’t have the same stamina levels as some of us.”"Speaking of Loke," Dias was glad he could easily make the transition. "Why did you take the job to protect her? She told me others turned it down."Magnar was silent for a second. He wasn't about to tell him everything, but he could give him the obvious. "The money was really good. Crops were terrible this year, so I needed the money to cover until next season anyway.""Do you regret it?""Not really. Sometimes she seems to ask too much, but given the circumstances, I don't think she's entirely unreasonable. Besides, I have made more maps recently than in my entire life. It’s certainly better than staring at a barren field for months on end. What about you? Why did you decide to tag along? I'm being paid to be here and there doesn't seem to be any reason for you to come." Magnar glanced at Dias before looking back over the endless water."I suppose there's just something about her that draws me in." Dias glanced at Magnar to see if his words had any effect and was a bit disappointed when there wasn't any reaction at all."If she's your type, then I guess I can't say anything, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. It seems she only cares about the gods and people as a whole. She doesn’t even really seem to give a lot of thought to her own wellbeing, as you’ve already seen."Dias didn't expect Magnar to deflect his questioning so well, but he did intend to guide the conversation in that way initially. "No, she’s not my type, but I am curious to see where her little adventure will lead us. And Blu and I can help make sure she’s a little less reckless in regards to herself.""Not your type, huh?" Magnar had no desire to continue this particular conversation. He was a little relieved that Dias didn't have ulterior motives toward her so that he didn’t need anything extra to keep his eyes on. "I’m hoping this adventure doesn’t get any more dangerous than it already has, but somehow I feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s to come.”Dias nodded. “I’m inclined to agree with you.” He was disappointed he didn’t get anything good out of either Loke or Magnar, but at least he was able to kill a little time.After a few days at sea, the group docked in a different port on the eastern shores of Caax and they didn’t waste any time heading to their next destination. There was a village a few hours away and there was still a lot of light left. They headed inland, staying parallel to the main road since the northern part of the river was mountainous and nearly impossible to cross. For the most part, things were smooth, but as they neared the village, the group found themselves ambushed by a handful of farmers turned bandits.“That’s some nice gear you got there. Why don’t you hand over that scythe?”Magnar took hold of his scythe and took a defensive stance. “Over my dead body.” The scythe was his favorite tool to use in a fight.“We can arrange that. There are clearly more of us. You won’t stand a chance.”Dias smirked while Magnar laughed loudly. They were both confident that they wouldn’t have a problem, but Loke was always nervous about fighting in general and people weren't on her list of favorite types of battles. But if the men were confident, then she didn’t have too much to worry about. However, she still needed to find a better way to be able to defend herself. They were outnumbered and she didn’t have much in the way of any offense. Loke only had this new thing to slow things down, but they still took time to prepare and it wasn’t like she could walk into the middle of a battle and draw a sigil under their enemy. She hadn’t a chance to test it, but she’d used some of the clay she would have used to carve pellets for Blu and changed the symbol to the one that represented time. She’d felt negative effects when she’d carve it, which is why her fingers were burned by the constant static shock. But with time, nothing went wrong and she was ready to dive into whatever she could do to try and help.Blu guarded Loke while she occasionally would throw something at the bandits and instead of just being a distraction; it seemed to slow them down. It was the first time everyone besides Dias had seen her utilize it and it almost diverted Magnar and Blu’s attention from the remaining bandits. As expected, fighting the bandits seemed to go relatively quickly. Once the battle was over, they set the bandits against trees so they wouldn’t get mistaken for corpses and continued along the road.“So, what was that fancy technique, Loke? Did you somehow learn some fancy magic over the past few days?” Magnar didn't remember her using anything of the sort before.Loke frowned, hoping she wouldn’t have garnered too much attention. “In a way. I don’t have any affinity towards the typical elemental spirits, but I haven’t had any major backlash when trying to utilize time. I found something in that outpost that reminded me of something that had been staring me in the face the whole time and found a way to put into practice. But for now it’s complicated to use. I’ve only figured out how to slow things down, but it doesn’t last long. At least I’m not completely useless now.”“Either way, it saved us a bit out there. Now let’s get to that village.” Magnar was too proud to blatantly give her any sort of thanks, but he was grateful for any bit of protection that they could get. He also noticed her bracelet had a new charm on it and he surmised that also had something to do with what she was doing.The village was in terrible condition when they arrived. So many people were peddling for food and money. The fields leading to the village looked shriveled and almost burnt. It was a terrible sight and all of them felt bad and didn’t have a good answer for how to lift their spirits. The people at the inn were overjoyed for visitors, and while the cost seemed very low to the travelers, it was quite lucrative for the innkeeper. The inn didn’t have much to offer by way of supper, but the group graciously accepted the soup that was available. It was the same pattern for the next several villages they journeyed to. Bandits not too far outside the villages, villages overly welcoming their money, and meager supplies were at every turn.Once the group crossed the bridge at the northern end of the river, the earth seemed slightly more fertile. There was a fishing village that had grown into a decent sized town and was still somewhat prosperous that they decided stop sooner than they were planning to stop. With the group well rested, the remainder of the trip along the northern coast to the Great Southern Bridge would be an easy hike.The fishing town was bustling and it was hard to believe that the previous villages they visited were even the same country. Items were a little more expensive, but it was the best they’d eaten since they’d returned to Caax. Divided into pairs, the group explored the city before meeting back at the inn. Blu paired off with Loke and she left most of the interacting with locals to Blu. Loke knew she had a tendency of saying something that could identify her as a believer, so she mostly remained silent. Blu didn’t readily speak with strangers, so most of their efforts were of an observational and visual nature. Magnar and Dias exchanged few words between each other, but both were far more proficient at chatting with the villagers.Reunited over a hot meal, they shared the little information they had gathered. Loke and Blu heard rumors that they were still wanted for what happened in Teo and did their best to not draw any attention to themselves, especially around the ones who seemed to be actively looking for criminals. Magnar and Dias learned similarly, but were given the name of someone likely to show them to an untraveled road, for a price.“You Caax people like payment for anything, don’t you? Do none of you do anything out of kindness?” Loke glared at Magnar.Magnar shrugged and didn’t bother to look at her directly. “We’re poor folk. It’s the only way to get ahead here. I mean, we’re kind enough, but we like to be compensated for our efforts. Don’t you?”“I would like to think that if it wasn’t really any sort of inconvenience, I wouldn’t demand money for it.” Loke wondered why information would have to cost her more money.“I haven’t heard the people of Holom being all that generous though. It seems like you are more of an anomaly.” Magnar countered.“It might be true that people of Holom tend to keep to themselves and we do get paid for our services, but it doesn’t mean they extort everyone for all that they have.” Loke crossed her arms, still glaring at Magnar.“No one said they were taking everything we have. Though, if you don’t have enough for my fee, tell me now and I’ll just head back home.” Magnar matched her body language while Dias and Blu just watched everything unfold between them.“I should just cancel your contract anyway. But then, wouldn’t your little map making adventure end prematurely?” A smirk started to tug at the corner of her mouth but she did push it back into a scowl as soon as soon as she felt her mouth curling upward.Magnar waved a hand dismissively. “It isn’t like I can’t go back and map it all later.”“True, but would you be paid for it? Not to mention, it isn’t like you’re making any money on your farm. You’d just be staring at boring, dead fields.”Magnar frowned as she touched on a sensitive topic and didn’t even dignify her with an answer, just a hard stare. He then ignored her completely and focused on his own food. Loke, in turn, did the same.Blu and Dias let them argue and mostly enjoyed watching the banter as it didn't divide the group. Dias was getting a handle on the true group dynamic, and for the most part, was satisfied that things weren’t as bad as he thought. However, he surmised that there were still enough important secrets that everyone was keeping from each other that could be a point of contention in the future. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but for now, Dias would stick around and observe them. Blu was mostly confused about their dynamic. There were times like these where they simply argued and he thought they really didn’t like each other much, but at other times, he could see them actually being civil and even more occasionally, somewhat nice to each other. They talked with each other a lot more often without fighting but sometimes he thought they enjoyed the arguments. He still felt like a bit of an outsider, but Loke often tried to include himand never left him out.With not much left of value being discussed after the spat, it did seem that the group would be paying for the small bit of information. Hopefully they could return to normal before morning or else the trip to Yopa would be a bit trying for Dias and Blu. They were given two separate rooms and had Blu stay with Loke while Dias shared with Magnar. Loke never thought about the implications sharing a room with men.“We’ve shared rooms this entire time, why is this different?” Loke was protesting having to pay for two rooms instead of just the one.Magnar wasn’t sure he could explain it in a way that wouldn’t irritate her. “Dias, could you explain this to her?”Assuming it was because of their argument earlier, he shrugged. “Sure. Loke, this is a larger town. People talk and rumors are likely to happen more significantly than the small town where people can understand situations more readily. So, as a young woman sharing lodging with several men seems to give a particular impression. It isn’t something favorable to your reputation.”It took Loke a moment to understand but she went pale when she understood. “Wait. The only town bigger than this was in Teo. Does that mean that when we stayed in Teo, people thought…” She didn’t bother to finish her thought“Probably. But it’s different with one person versus several. So don’t worry about it. Blu’s a kid, so he can pass off as your brother.” Magnar started down the hall and disappeared into the room he was sharing with Dias.“Loke, why do you fight with Magnar so much?” Blu asked Loke as he closed the door.“Hm? Because he’s greedy and indignant.” She was in a foul mood and was relieved she wouldn’t have to see his face for the rest of the night.Blu didn’t really want to argue with her, and sometimes Blu thought Magnar could be those things, but tonight she did instigate him a bit more than usual. “Don’t you worry that he’ll just quit? I mean, I would do my best to take his place, but I don’t think I can protect you like he can.”Loke let out a long breath as if to rid herself of the tension she was holding onto. She smiled and put her hand on his head. “That’s super sweet, but don’t worry about it. I don’t think he’ll do that, but if something like that were to happen, I would probably just head home and try to find a better guide for all of us. He’s in the same situation as the rest of us, so I guess I shouldn’t agitate him as much. He tends to push me the wrong way sometimes.”He nodded and moved on to a different topic. “I was wondering, what does a head priestess do that’s different than a regular priestess?”Blu hadn’t asked her much about things pertaining to the Biyeho in a while outside of the occasional question. She was a little surprised but excited to impart her knowledge. “You only knew the ones in Teo from the orphanage, right?”He nodded, but sat in an attentive manner.“Ok, so for the Biyeho, there are a lot of different gods to worship and various ways to pay homage to them. Most regular people are familiar with the few gods their families tend to have in mind for their offerings. To go a little beyond that, there are usually local priests and priestesses who will help guide people when they have concerns or troubles. They are familiar with most of the different gods of the area and the rituals that might relate to them. The next step up is the regional priests and priestesses, who are the head priests and priestesses. I’m the only one for all of Holom at the moment. To qualify for that level, you need to have extensive knowledge of many, many gods, rituals, ceremonies, histories, and all sorts of nuanced aspects of the religion. And even still, there is a lot that isn’t known to each of us. What I know isn’t the same as what the ones in Teo knew. There is a lot of overlap and the general stories are well known, but with as many gods as there are, it would be nearly impossible to know all of them. I’m sure one day, someone would, but I would fathom that they would be blessed by the god of knowledge, if not actually being the god of knowledge themselves. Does that make any sense?”“So, you know a lot about a lot of gods and how to worship them? More than a regular priestess would.” Blu tried to summarize.“In a nutshell, yes.” Loke wondered if she would ever be able to explain things so simply. When she gave the occasional lecture it often left the young kids quite confused.“That’s pretty amazing. But it looks like you’ve been through that book so many times, haven’t you memorized it all?”Loke looked down at the book she had clenched in her arms. “I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve read it, but somehow, every time I read it, it feels like there is something new for me to learn. Plus, while I am quite familiar with a lot of symbols, there are still things that I need reference for so that I don’t do something wrong with a minor miscalculation. I wouldn’t want to invoke the wrath of an angry god when trying for something more peaceful. Or, more recently, accidently set something on fire when trying to harness water particles since they have similar sigils.”“That’s true…” Blu looked like he wanted to ask something else, but it just wasn’t coming to mind.“If you want me to tell you any of the stories, I’ll be happy to. But maybe tomorrow night. One long explanation at a time seems to be a good pace for now. I know a little of Tumben as well, but I don’t want to overwhelm you, not to mention, I wouldn’t want to risk being overheard. We are still in Caax. I’m a major villain here.”“Sounds great! I would love to hear more stories. I reread that one you picked up in the orphanage every night, actually.”Loke felt warm when others got excited to learn from her. “Good! The god of protection is one that everyone is usually familiar with and is a great story, even if the details get changed from storyteller to storyteller; the theme is always still the same. But try to keep that book safe. It seems to have survived destruction, so it must have protection of its own.”Meanwhile, across the hall, Dias and Magnar were bantering in their own way.“Can you believe her accusations? I mean, who wouldn’t want to be paid for their services? I get that she’s all high up and all, but she can’t expect everyone to be like her. Besides, we’re all suffering in this country. Even though this town seems to be bustling, the people here have problems just as we do.”Dias was surprised Magnar was unloading on him, but he suspected this was building up for some time. “I understand, but I also sympathize with her. Remember, I was there in the war. I’ve seen a lot of people do things simply for the sake of others and harm for the sake of who they were. There are all kinds, and while seeing things from a different perspective can be difficult, it would be best if both of you could somehow see each other’s perspective from time to time.”Magnar really didn’t want to hear any of the doctor’s preaching. He understood the sentiment, but at the same time, if he had to look at her perspective, then she should have to look at his. Although, it wasn’t as though he would instantly agree, either. “The war, what was it like? We didn’t have a lot of direct impact back then, which, I guess was good, but a lot of farmers ended up going to fight in Nich and never came back. Then the whole thing with straight up genocide gained a lot of ground in Caax. Teo is especially bad.”“I’ve heard a lot about Teo. Honestly, the battle ground might be a better place than being a believer in that city. At least on the battlefield, everyone had their fair chance versus being taken in the middle of the night or in the middle of daily activities and strung up on the gallows for everyone to watch.”“I don’t know how the people in the city can just watch it, either. I didn’t know the people who we saw in the square very well, but Loke did. It hit her hard, obviously, but everyone else seemed almost blood thirsty. I mean, there were a few that were crying at the whole concept, but overall, it was pretty hostile.”Dias seemed to be reflecting seriously on the discussion, for once. "I worry for everyone in Teo. It sounds like the kind of situation where they might just accuse anyone just to keep up the spectacle.”“I hope that doesn’t happen, but I feel like it could. Targeting us is one thing, but those other people are who they want to fill the city.”“Then, we should try and support Loke and find some of the other believers she is looking for and figure out how to come to some sort of compromise.”Although Magnar agreed, he had plenty of doubts. “Do you think she could do anything like that? I mean, she’s clearly smart, but there aren’t many of us, and one person can’t make everything stop.”“But she’s not one person. There are four of us. And the more she finds, the more people will be there to support her. I did want to ask you something about her. It’s nothing idle, something potentially important.”“I don’t know too much, but you can ask.” Magnar felt himself starting to calm down, finally.“Have you noticed the marks under her eyes? They’re very faint, but they don’t look like typical beauty marks.” Dias drew a diamond shape under his left eye with a finger.“Blu mentioned them once, but I haven't paid too much attention to notice. What would they be if they weren't typical beauty marks?" He didn’t remember if she even had any distinguishing features on her face. Her eyes were purple and her hair was a light green, but neither of those things was exceedingly rare.“I don’t know. I was a bit curious. I’m used to obvious injuries and trauma from the battlefield, but I don’t think it would be anything serious. Anyway, we will try and get closer to Yopa tomorrow. I would like to find that village in Yopa for my own concerns.”“Yeah, I have no idea how to find a village of people who don’t want to be found, though.” Magnar flopped backward onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.Dias smiled. “I think it’ll all somehow work out.”Despite all their argument, Loke and Magnar seemed to be back to their usual selves in the morning when they went to talk to the guide. It didn’t seem to cost all that much, but the man was obviously a little curious about them. Dias played it off as a group of researchers trying to learn more about the world. It wasn’t much of a stretch. They all had things to learn as they traveled. Luckily, Magnar was quick to think and showed the guide one of his in progress maps. It seemed to satisfy the guide and Magnar felt a bit of pride at being able to show off his hard work.Once they were on the old, overgrown road, the group continued north then west until the Great Southern Bridge was visible. It was already late afternoon, and they were hoping to get into Yopa before the sunset. They had been very fortunate with villages, but now that they were about to head into uncharted territory, they would likely have to camp somewhere, but they had some peace of mind as they had appropriate supplies. Once the group came close to the bridge, they found it guarded by several Caax farmers.“Hello fellow farming folk!” Magnar wanted to try and play a kinship card and get them out of Caax as quickly as possible without a fight. “What’s going on?”“I’m afraid no one is permitted to leave Caax. Palen’s orders.” One of the farmers tried to assert authority.“I hadn’t heard. What’s going on?” Magnar's eye twitched a little at the mention of Palen.“Someone tried to set fire to a large part of Teo. Probably some stray Biyeho believers still around. So, unless you have a valid pass, you can’t leave the country. No offense.” A second farmer explained.Magnar went back to the waiting group. “Seems like you need a pass to leave Caax. Palen’s decreed some garbage about Biyeho around and the fire in Teo. These guys don’t look like much of a fighting pair, but I would rather not have to hurt them.”Blu took a quick glance at the farmers who were watching them. “They’re probably like the bandits we came across before, but this time they took a job from someone instead of just attacking people.”“That’s optimistic, Blu, but that doesn’t quite solve our problems. Did they say how to get a pass?” Dias pointed out the next obvious question.Magnar had a thought and he raised his finger to pause their conversation and went back to the farmer-soldiers.“Ok, so we don’t have a pass. We’ve been traveling around the countryside for a while now, so we didn’t know anything about it. Any idea how or where we can get one?”The farmer-soldiers were silent for a minute before one admitted they didn’t know. “Sorry. We were just told not to let anyone out without a pass and to take care of any Biyeho we meet.”“I see. So, what if I told you we aren’t Biyeho? I mean, I’m a broke farmer like you guys. I’m from the west, but we came to see how things were in the east and it doesn’t seem any better. Between you and me, I was hoping to see what kinds of things Yopa has as far as crops are concerned. I mean, I don’t think their climate is that much different than ours just over the bridge. They just have more trees further up. So we should be able to get something useful from there to grow here, right?” Magnar was trying anything to get the party through without engaging.“It’s a good thought, but we still can’t let you go. I mean, we don’t have any money either, and this is our job. If we do a good job, we get paid. Plain and simple.” The second farmer was surprisingly steadfast.“No, that’s fine. We’ll figure out how to get a pass, or something.” Or something was the more likely of options.Magnar reported back to the others and they deliberated for a few moments. The water was down a steep cliff, so they couldn’t take a boat across, even if they had one. Not to mention, it was a grueling distance between countries, and they would all most likely perish from hypothermia and exhaustion if they didn’t drown before they reached Yopa.Finally, Magnar’s body language changed and he perked up. “Loke, you’re the only girl in this group. They’re pretty simple folk; maybe you can flirt with them to win us some favors.”Loke, Blu, and Dias all looked at Magnar in near disbelief and shock.“You do realize what you just asked me to do.” Loke was less than pleased about the suggestion.“Hate to say it, but I don’t think that is something Loke could do.” Dias sighed instead of bursting out into laughter. It was a suggestion, at least.“I don’t think she couldn’t, but I don’t think she should. I mean, wouldn’t that put her in danger if they didn’t go for it?” Blu didn't like the idea at all and while he was somewhat naïve, he wasn't that oblivious.Magnar admitted defeat and went back to brainstorming. They needed to get across the bridge soon, but at this rate they were going to get stuck here with almost no cover.“I have an idea.” Loke looked at everyone’s surprised faces. “What? I’m not without practical ideas. Anyway, these guys can’t stay here all the time, right? They have to have shifts. So if we just lay low and when the shift change happens, then we make our move. If we run for it, we might be able to get past them with minimal injury. Magnar himself said they seemed rather dim, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”“I said they were simple, but whatever. That actually might work.” Magnar was trying to be encouraging, but it came out as amazement.“Don’t sound so surprised. I may have a head full of what most people find useless, but I’m not stupid.” Loke felt insulted. She was the one doing all the thinking all this time already.“It’s a fairly good idea, but we have a lot of supplies, they’re bound to run much faster than us.” Though, sometimes Dias thought he was carrying the bulk of it.“I thought of that too. But we can counter it. We’ll send Blu and Magnar first. Once they act as the distraction, I’ll try to slow them down and Dias and I will follow. It should buy us enough time to get past them and if they start to catch us, I’ll do it again.”Blu looked worried. “But you can only use it a few times until you’re completely exhausted.”“If it gets us across the bridge, then it’ll be fine. I’ll manage.” She was up to three uses before her entire body felt drained of all energy.As the group's physician, Dias was concerned about Loke’s condition. “It sounds like our best option. We’ll just have to find a good place to loiter until then that is close enough, but not too far to miss our window. Loke, don’t exert yourself too much. If it comes to it, we’ll handle whoever chases us.”The area was mostly open fields with a few trees scattered around. The group scouted the nearest tree and got themselves comfortable, looking like they were intending to stay for the night. They could see the farmer-soldiers watching them, so they started collecting firewood and other typical camping items. It seemed to take forever for the shift change to happen, but as the sun was starting to set, a new pair of farmers turned makeshift soldiers were starting to come near the bridge. At the bridge, the four were having a conversation clearly about the rag tag group of travelers as fingers were being pointed at the false campsite.Once it seemed like the first pair were leaving, the new duo were still chatting between themselves which gave Blu and Magnar a chance to get into better position. At one point, they burst into laughter and the one had his back turned completely to Blu and Magnar. That was when they took their opportunity to run past the farmers. It took a few seconds for them to react to Magnar and Blu, but just as they did, Loke recited a short incantation while she tossed something toward them which caused them to move in extreme slow motion. Dias grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the bridge to try and catch up to the others. About half way, they could hear the farmer-soldiers yelling as they started chasing after the group. Loke couldn’t stop them again until they were closer, but they still kept running. The Great Southern Bridge was living up to its name as they were exhausted and not even close to the other side. The sun was all but set and seeing land at the other end was almost impossible. The group had no idea what was or could be waiting for them on the other side.About two thirds of the way across the bridge, the farmer-soldiers were gaining on them. They were quite fit since they were laborers and aside from Magnar, everyone else was not used to running so much and were rapidly slowing down. Loke was falling behind the others, despite Dias’ best efforts to keep her running along with the rest of them. Her hand slipped out of his and she fell to her knees. The farmer-soldiers were almost upon her. She used her finger and swirled a complex design into the dust on the bridge as fast as she could while chanting. Just as she finished, the men were back to moving in slow motion. Loke suddenly felt Magnar grab her and threw her over his shoulder.“I’m pretty sure we’ve had the conversation about not pushing yourself too hard, but we’re almost there. You can explain what you did later.”“Hopefully, I slowed them down for twice as long. I’m sorry I’m such a burden. I know I’m not physically capable of a lot of things.” Loke hated being useless but this was the exact reason she needed a guard.“Save it for later. Let’s just get to Yopa. They can’t follow us once we get there. At least, I hope not.” Magnar thought they settled this argument weeks ago, but clearly it still plagued her mind.The group made it across the bridge and was greeted by a dense field of wildflowers. They all nearly collapsed but trudged a little further to the edge of a patch of woods that weren’t too far away. They managed the bare minimum to set up camp, and after deciding a watch schedule, let their bodies get the rest that they so desperately needed.
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Dias opted to let Loke sleep and took over her watch shift in the early morning hours. He was tired, but he could go a lot farther on little sleep than she could, especially after she exhausted herself. Magnar was the first one up with the sun and sat next to Dias.“Loke not get up?” Magnar let out a yawn.Dias shook his head. “I didn’t wake her. She needs to sleep more than I do. She should really get more rest after that stunt yesterday.”“You’re probably right. But are you going to be ok? If you took her shift, you’ve been up most of the night.”“I’ll be fine. During the war I had to go several days without sleep while tending to wounds. Our physically inferior priestess is nothing to worry about. Though, you seem a little troubled.” Dias rarely let people’s moods escape him.Magnar didn’t really want to talk about it. Loke was paying him to protect her, yet she had fallen so far behind and he wasn’t there to protect her. She managed to protect herself in the last moment, but it didn’t need to end up that way. “Nah, I’m alright. Just a bit concerned about the farmers guarding the bridge. They’re not trained soldiers, they’re just idiot farmers.”“You’re just a farmer as well, are you not?”“Generally, yeah.” He couldn’t really disagree. “But, I’ve been doing the escort and bodyguard thing for a long time now. Most of these guys never did anything of the sort. I doubt many of them went further than a small, local village come harvest time.”Dias didn’t believe that was all that was on his mind, but didn’t bother pushing the issue. “I’m going to start preparing breakfast. I’m sure they’ll be hungry when they get up.”Magnar stood up. “I’ll go gather some more wood for the fire. Once everyone’s up and fed, we should start trying to figure out where to go now that we’re in Yopa.”The smell of food woke Blu as it was barely started and he helped Dias prepare it so it wasn’t bland. Loke didn’t manage to stir until it was almost ready. She woke in a panic, knowing she didn’t take her shift for the watch and stumbled from out of her blanket as she rushed to the group to apologize for oversleeping. No matter how much Dias tried to assure her that it wasn’t a problem, she still felt bad about it. The majority won out and convinced her enough to let it go.Once breakfast was done and everything was packed up, the group opted to start heading north. None of them had any familiarity with Yopa, so they were just walking aimlessly. They followed the main road as much as they could and upon coming to any intersections, they discussed which path would be best. Along the way, Magnar would pause to update his map.Yopa’s forest was rather dense and even the road became hard to follow at times. The group eventually came upon a small village with a handful of people who weren’t forthcoming with information and were somewhat hostile. However, they did learn that most of the people in Yopa lived in small commune villages like this one. Supplies that villagers needed that weren’t able to be crafted from the land were sometimes bought from the major capital city of Maaskab towards the north, but the villagers tried to avoid the city as much as possible. The second village they came across also had people who were about as forthcoming with information as the first, but these new strangers offered an area to set up camp within the village. Once the area was secured, the group split up and went to talk to some of the people in the village, hoping to learn things on a personal basis instead of being intimidated by everyone as a whole. At dusk, they returned to camp and pooled their information.“I didn’t find out a lot, but the city seems pretty rough. A lot of people are poor and even basic necessities are a little harder to find – unless you were a soldier or wanting to become one.” Blu thought about things in Teo and even though things there were rough, it didn’t sound as bad as it did here.“I heard something similar, myself. There are vigorous training sessions going on in larger towns and especially in the capital. I can’t help but wonder if they’re preparing for war. War was bad enough once, I would rather not have to relive that experience if I could help it.” Dias had a lot of bad memories from the war, and if Yopa was training for one, then he would rather avoid wherever it was they were going to go.Magnar nodded. “Apparently, there have been some people coming up from Caax. Since the crop has been so poor, people are getting desperate. A handful of people have come up and given a few of the villages a lot of trouble. That probably explains why we’ve been met with a lot of resistance. Any luck on your end, Loke?”“Actually, I might have something. I was talking to some children and they said they heard of a village made of tree houses somewhere in the densest area of the forest. I don’t exactly know where that is, but if I were trying to hide from persecution, then hiding in a hidden area makes a lot of sense. The forest is dense enough as it is, I couldn’t imagine where the densest part of the forest is.” She hoped she hadn’t accidently said something out of place when talking to people. She knew Magnar worried about her saying something out of turn.“Well, for the time being, maybe we should just follow the trail for a while and see where it leads. Or maybe we’ll find another village that might help us. I’m good with fields, not forest, but I’ll still map out our route. It’s very easy to get turned around in this place.” Magnar folded the paper he was working on. It was running out of space, but it should suffice for the time being.Dias concurred. “That’s for sure. Nich is mostly grassland, so there isn’t a lot of difficulty seeing things in the distance there, either.”Blu looked like he had been mulling something over in his mind for a bit and finally broke in with an idea. “I might be able to help a little. When I was in the orphanage, we used to climb trees and play hide and seek all the time in the little bit of woods that we had nearby. I don’t know if I’ll be able to see anything, but I can at least try.”“It can’t hurt. Well, except if you fall out of the tree. I don’t carry enough equipment to handle an injury that severe, so don’t fall out of a tree.” Dias didn’t have any other ideas to offer and he still felt responsible for keeping everyone in fighting health.“I’ll try not to.” Blu was surprised Dias actually showed concern for his wellbeing, even if it came off a bit dry. He couldn't help but feel happy about it.Now that they had a lead of where to go next, they were able to feel a little more comfortable for the night. The morning came quickly and the sound of children very close by woke the group. They were trying to go through their things, but they were all sleeping very lightly at this point and simple noises would easily wake any of them.“Hey!” Magnar jumped up quickly to try to stop the kids.“Magnar, stop.” Loke was trying to keep Magnar from upsetting the kids too much.Dias spoke while Loke tried to stop Magnar. “Can we help you with anything? You only have to ask. We’re not scary.” He didn’t think the group as a whole would be scary to children. Some people thought Dias looked scary because he was scruffy and had some battle scars, but he really wasn’t a scary person.The kids looked nervous and embarrassed. “We just wanted to see what kind of things you had. We don’t meet new people and we don’t have things that you guys have.”“And you weren’t looking to keep stuff for yourself?” Dias prodded.“…maybe…”“That isn’t very nice. What would happen if we got hurt in the forest and we were missing something important to take care of an injury? Wouldn’t that be sad?”“…yes...”“We can show you some of our things, but you shouldn’t take others’ things without asking. It might be very important to them, or it might even be something that could hurt you. Mine and Magnar’s tools are very sharp and you could get really hurt. You don’t want to get hurt, right?”“…no…”Dias smiled at the kids. “Good. If you come back before we leave, we can show you some neat things, ok?”“…ok…” The children had been substantially scared away but hopefully also learned an important lesson. They ran off with tears welling up in their eyes.“So, think those kids are coming back?” Magnar started packing his gear.“I don’t think so, but kids are an interesting lot, so they might be intrigued enough to see us off. Or at the very least, they might watch from a distance.”Dias’ second suggestion was the one that was the closest to true. A few of the villagers made sure they left the village without anything they didn’t arrive with and the children lurked behind the adults while the group headed out of the village. They had a spark of curiosity, but at least had enough sense stay back.A few hours into the depths of the forest, the group decided that it might be a good place to try and see if Blu could learn anything. It was difficult enough to see from the ground, and no one really expected him to see anything different up in a tree. Blu found a tree that seemed to have enough branches for foot holds and branches close enough to grab along the way. Magnar gave him a boost into the tree and he easily maneuvered his way up, a lot farther than anyone expected him to. At some point, he disappeared through the green foliage and they started to worry if he would be ok to come down or if some giant bird had eaten him. Eventually, random sticks and leaves began to fall from the tree as Blu began his descent and became visible once more. When he got closer to the bottom, he made everyone clear a space and jumped from the lowest branch he could. He dusted himself off and regained his orientation.“So, where we are now is pretty thick. I didn’t see anything denser off in the distance. I did notice something strange that I can’t quite describe a little farther off to the west from here. I know the path doesn’t go that way, but if we can make our own path, then we should try and head that way. I think that might be our best chance to see if the information Loke got is true.”Loke turned to look at their resident cartographer. “How’s the map going, Magnar?”“Map is pretty good so far. Worried about getting lost?”Loke gave him a look, but actually acknowledged him instead of leaving it at a glare. “I am, actually. But we should try going that way anyway, just in case.”“Your money is my command." Magnar bowed mockingly, surprised he didn’t get punched for it. "Let’s try and find a treetop village.”Blu’s observations were quite helpful and after getting turned around a few times by non-existent paths and cleared areas that didn’t make any sense, they finally found something. It wasn’t what anyone expected, but as they walked along to a small clearing, the ground felt a little different under their feet. Before they could investigate or even really think about it, they found themselves falling into a pitfall. It wasn’t too deep, but it was deep enough to keep them from making their way out. Either they found an enemy trap, or fell into a trap set for protection.Unable to get themselves free, the group tried to get as comfortable as they could in the cramped hole. It was bad enough they fell on top of each other, but now they were cramped together in a rather uncomfortable manner. Dias did his best to try and patch up all the cuts and scrapes, but it was nearly impossible to move. With little else to do, Loke declared she was going to take a nap and Magnar agreed that it might not be a bad idea to rest while they had the chance. Whenever someone came to get them, it could require all the energy they could muster if they needed to defend themselves.It wasn’t until after dark when someone appeared. They heard some chatter above them, but it was mostly indistinguishable. Someone was lowered in on a rope and held a knife that she pointed at each of them as she asked questions.“Who are all of you?” She pointed the knife at Magnar.“Me? I’m a farmer from Caax. He’s an orphan kid from Teo, also in Caax. She’s a historian from Holom and this guy is a doctor from Nich.”She moved the knife to Dias next, but then decided to change to Blu for her next question. “What are you doing here?”Blu didn’t want to blurt out the truth, but if these weren’t the right people interrogating them, then they would certainly be in trouble. “We’re traveling around, trying to learn about the world. I don’t have a home, so I am tagging along with Loke and Magnar. Dias joined us since he didn’t have a place to call home either.”The woman with the knife narrowed her eyes and put the knife next to Loke’s neck. Magnar silently cursed because he wasn’t near Loke to stop her from getting killed if this woman were to act. “So, this boy called you Loke. And you’re a historian?”“I am. Both statements are true.” It was close enough to the truth for now, at least.“And if I were to ask you about the history of Trir, you could tell us a thing or two?”Loke’s eyes widened and she ultimately smiled. “I would love to discuss Trir with you, if you wish to.”Blu whispered to Dias, “What’s Trir?”The woman quickly brought the knife back to Blu. “Do not speak.”Blu stiffened and said nothing more. The woman kept the knife at a distance, but still addressed Loke. “Of Trir and Viik, which should be the victor?”Loke wasn’t even nervous. She knew who she was dealing with at this point and was getting excited. “One would expect Trir to be able to stop Viik, but Viik had enough power to divert Trir’s efforts. Essentially, they were equally matched and kept themselves quite the distance from each other.”The woman said nothing but had those above pull her out of the hole. Shortly after, a rope with a foot hold was lowered into the hole. “The girl. She comes up.” A voice called from above.Loke took the rope without hesitation. Magnar started to protest, but Loke smiled and told him it was going to be alright. After Loke disappeared above, there was a bit of a gap in time. Magnar started to get anxious since she left with a smile, yet they were all still stuck in the hole. “Does she expect to leave us here?”“Magnar, haven’t you been paying attention when she’s been working?” Dias was calm and was trying to calm Magnar down as well. “Trir is the spirit of the earth and Viik is the spirit of the wind. The symbol engraved on your equipment is Trir in an old script.”“Then, what’s on the pellets she carved for me?” Blu was suddenly very interested and wondered more about what he was using.Dias thought for a moment. The rope came down as he was about to answer and he handed it to Magnar. “Magnar, you go first. Protecting our priestess is your job.” Once Magnar was gone, there was a little more space and Blu was able to hand Dias one of his marbles. “To be honest, I can’t read them. I’ve mostly been listening to Loke when she’s talking under her breath and extrapolated from there. I’ve managed to put together the basic four. Trir of the earth, Viik of the wind, Agha of the water, and Faluk of fire are associations I’ve heard her mention specifically.”“Oh, I see. She seemed to struggle with explaining spirit things before and it feels like she’s a lot more comfortable with the topic. I didn’t think she knew anything else in relation to them.” Blu was a little let down, but he knew if he asked Loke, she would probably give him a good reason and he liked her lessons from time to time.The rope came down two more times. First Blu joined Loke and Magnar above, and then Dias finally left their pitfall prison. Once everyone was back on solid ground, a few men closed up the hole and the woman addressed the group.“I’m sorry for threatening you, but we can’t be too careful. I’m Cyrene, originally from Nich. We’ll take you to our village of Seibal. Loke explained everything and we’ll be happy to have you visit our village.”“Is it really in the trees?” Blu didn’t see any traces of a village around on the ground, but he wondered if the rumors were true.“It is. Please, follow me and I will guide you to Seibal. Try not to disturb the area around, as we would like to keep the area as secret as possible. The fact you found us worries me a little, but we’ll talk about things more in the village.”Cyrene led them to a large tree and opened a hidden door. Inside the hollowed trunk, a ladder that seemed to go up endlessly was waiting for them. The men started to climb the ladder first, Loke followed, then Cyrene and the men that came with her. Every so often, there were platforms to rest, but the ladder kept going farther and farther upward. The climbing order would change from time to time, based on who opted to rest, but eventually, they all reached the top.“These guys will take you to a place to rest during your visit and I will speak with the village leader.” Cyrene left the group to the men that were with her and headed up a different ladder nearby.The village was indeed in the treetops. Houses were built into the trees and connected through a series of bridges and rope lines. They were led along the wooden path and across a bridge to an empty room.“Cyrene will come back for you. Stay here.” One of the men gave them their instructions, closed the door, and disappeared.“So, care to explain what’s going on, Loke?” Magnar sat on the ground, cross-legged and now crossed his arms.“This is the village of relocated believers from Nich. If they weren’t believers, they wouldn’t have known anything about the spirits. I would imagine that this village elder is some sort of priest or priestess that will want to talk to us about finding this place, for starters. To be honest, I expected to see more people in this village.”Dias nodded. “I also expected to see more people. Hopefully what we see isn’t all there is, though, a place like this looks like it took an immense amount of work to build, I can’t imagine it they did so much in such a short amount of time.”The door opened and Cyrene stepped inside. “I need to bring Loke, and one other. It is up to all of you to decide.”Blu looked at Magnar, as did Dias. Magnar rolled his eyes and got up off the ground. “I’ll go with her.” He expected it, but sometimes he wondered if someone else would want to lighten his burden.“Please, follow me.”Loke and Magnar followed Cyrene down the boardwalk and across a few slatted bridges. Eventually, they reached the end of a platform and climbed one more ladder up. Cyrene held the door open and motioned for them to head inside.The inside of the small room was dimly lit with a few candles and a bit of burning incense. In the back of the room, there was an older man, probably in his late forties, smoking a ceremonial pipe. As they approached the man, Loke stopped and knelt on the floor, bowing in reverence before him. Magnar, not having any idea what was going on, clumsily followed suit.“You don’t need to prostrate before me. Lift your heads. I am Onslow, priest of Seibal in Yopa, former priest of Seibal in Nich. I have heard from Cyrene that you are also believers. Is this true?”Loke sat upright on her knees. “Yes, each member that I am traveling with is a believer. Everyone has their own, separate experiences, so their knowledge varies, but I promise that I have not brought someone that would compromise your village.”“I should hope not. Then, what background do both of you possess?” Onslow inhaled from his pipe.This was definitely Loke’s strong suit, so Magnar gestured for her to go first.“Me? Um, ok. I’m Loke Aumoe, high priestess of Holom based in Holom City. I studied under the high priest and priestess that were recently executed in the capital city Teo, in Caax. I am currently trying to find other Biyeho leaders to evaluate how to proceed with so much hatred and continued and continued genocide against us, despite the apparent end of the civil wars in Nich and Kabra.”Onslow was surprised by Loke’s declaration. “A high priestess should never have to prostrate to someone of my low rank. And on such a noble quest! Please make yourself comfortable in our village. Now, you, sir, what is your history?”“I’m a farmer from Caax. My name is Magnar Lunde. Loke hired me to be a guide and guard as she travels about.”“And you believe in the gods of the old religion?”“Yes, sir. There was a shrine in my modest home on the farm where offerings are frequently made to the god of agriculture and weather for a good crop harvest. It’s been hidden away for a few years since we’ve been having some troubles of our own in Caax.” Magnar was a lot more relaxed about Onslow but he couldn’t help feeling judged.“As most farmers these tend to do. I pray that you have been able to learn things as you have been traveling with someone of her caliber.”“I have. There have been many opportunities to expand my basic knowledge. She’s also had me participate in purification ceremonies.” Magnar hoped he wasn’t overstepping.“Oh? That’s fantastic! Not everyone gets to participate in such things. That is quite an honor, you know.”“I wasn’t aware, but I will reflect on the significance of my assistance.”“Ha ha, very good. You two may return to the other room.” Onslow turned to the woman. “Though, Cyrene, if you could bring the other two, I would like to speak to them as well.”“Of course.” Cyrene led Loke and Magnar back to Blu and Dias, having them switch places and guiding Blu and Dias to speak to Onslow.Blu and Dias entered the room and where Loke was the initiator in kneeling and prostrating, Dias was Blu’s guide.Onslow laughed. “You are just like the other two. One was overly formal and the other a bit unsure. You two can relax. I’m Onslow, priest of Seibal – formerly Seibal of Nich and now Seibal of Yopa. Priestess Loke has informed me that you are both also believers in the gods and I am curious to hear your backgrounds.”“I suppose I can start. I am Dias Meulo, of Nich. I am a physician who is currently migrating from area to area. I had treated many of both religions during the war. I was the one that gave Loke the information that your village might have survived.”“I see. That’s to be commended. Your knowledge and gods of primary offering, I assume you make offerings to the god of health?”“Health, yes. I also tend to make offerings to Protection and Compassion as well. Not all of my patients will have favorable outcomes, so if the god of compassion could be generous to not prolong their suffering.”Onslow was surprised that he was that considerate. “That’s quite a sympathetic notion. I’m sure you are quite a fine physician. Now, young man, what is your story?”Blu shifted awkwardly. He didn’t think Onslow was someone to be afraid of, but he felt out of place with his limited scope of knowledge. “Um, I was raised in the orphanage run by the Biyeho in Teo until it was taken over by the Tumben. I was with everyone from our orphanage and those in the other orphanage for a short while before I left on my own. I didn’t appreciate how they were trying to essentially brainwash everyone to follow their religion. The priest and priestess didn’t explain things in too much detail, but we often made small offerings to only a few gods. Though, Loke explained a lot more about the actual religion and the practices. She’s been kind enough to teach me things - and Dias too. He’s been able to explain things that I hadn’t known before.”Onslow smiled. “That is fantastic, and I pray that the god of knowledge will bless you with even more knowledge and familiarity. You can rejoin your friends and please, make yourselves comfortable in the village. It might not be a conventional village, but it is our new home.”Blu and Dias thanked Onslow and followed Cyrene back to Loke and Magnar, who were already turning the room into temporary housing.“Welcome back. We set your gear to the side over there so that you can make your area as comfy as you want. Loke suggested we take our time here.” Magnar was setting out his blanket.Dias frowned. “I would rather we not overstay our welcome. I know this village is already at risk based on its own existence, but allowing outsiders such as ourselves have increased their risk of discovery.”Magnar understood his concerns but thought he was probably overreacting a little. “I don’t think you need to worry that much, Dias. Right Blu?”Blu nodded at Magnar, but looked over at Loke who was talking to Cyrene.“I do not know if Onslow will speak with you again. He has a lot of things to do, but I will ask. He has heard your plight and if he wishes to, he will send for you.”“I understand. But if it is at all possible, I would like to have another audience with him.”“I’ll pass along the message. For now, just get a good night’s rest with your friends.”Cyrene left the room and another villager entered a few moments later with some dinner for the group. They had spent much of the day cramped in a hole and even in the village they hadn’t had an opportunity to eat. They had been ordered to provide supper to the group and when they came in, it was quite a large amount of food. All of them protested that it was way too much for them to accept, but since it was made especially for them, they resigned to accept it. After having their fill and Dias again suggesting that they limit their time in the village, they retired for the evening and would discuss things more the next day. Loke still wanted to speak with Onslow again, privately, about her concerns. Until then, she wasn’t planning on leaving Seibal.Come morning, Loke and Magnar weren’t anywhere to be found, and Dias had noticed one of his scalpels was missing. Blu helped him look through everything for it, but they didn’t have much success. Magnar decided to wander around town a bit and create a map of the village. Loke left to find a private area where she could spend time working on more of her research. She had been paying a bit of attention to Dias’ mannerisms at camp and at sea as well as how he performed in battle. She’d deduced which spirit he likely had an affinity for and wanted to at least give him an advantage. She never expected him to willingly hand over one of his knives so she stole one to engrave. She was the reason all of them were always at risk and she could at least try and boost his abilities.Cyrene was walking around the village looking for Loke to take her to see Onslow when there was a brief, bright flash of light behind one of the buildings at the opposite end of the village.Cyrene found Loke trying to find things with her hands on the ground and when she cleared her throat and Loke looked up in her direction, she noticed her pupils completely dilated. “Loke…can you not see me?”“I do believe I might have been blinded a bit. I think it should be temporary, though. Could you please help me collect my items?”“You’re rather calm for such an incident. Are you going to be alright? What happened here?” Cyrene helped Loke strap the book to her back as well as picking up an engraving tool and the scalpel“I should be fine. I need to return this scalpel to Dias, though. I’m certain he’ll be missing it. I was just trying to help out and was running a brief experiment.” Loke’s vision was completely white with some dark spots. Nothing seemed definitive and she once again felt useless having to rely on someone.“I can return it to him, but for now, Onslow wanted to speak with you. Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”“That would be fantastic. I haven’t made him wait too long, have I?” Loke worried she would have missed her chance.“No, he just asked for me to find you. Since you’re having a bit of a difficult time, I will guide you there so you don’t fall out of the trees.”Cyrene seemed a little nicer today, Loke thought. She was mostly standoffish but today she was a lot warmer. Loke made it up the final ladder without too much help and waited for Cyrene to guide her into the room. She still had almost no vision, but she felt like it was getting a little bit better as time was going by.“Onslow, I brought Loke, but she seems to have had a bit of an incident and is having a bit of a difficult time seeing. Do you need me to stay and assist her?”“No, it should be fine, Cyrene. I’ll be home in a little while. Let her friends know that she’ll be with me for a bit.”Cyrene nodded and left the room. Onslow guided Loke to a seat and sat across from her. “So, I heard you wanted to talk with me. I assume it is about what you mentioned yesterday.”“Yes. I was curious about the conditions in all the different countries and if there are any ideas for combating the general hatred and genocide that are especially rampant in Caax. I’m only one person but surely something can be done.”Onslow and Loke spoke at great length in the dimmed room about conditions in Nich and their relocation to Yopa. They hadn’t come up with any great ideas to solve the problems, but Loke was able to understand their situation more readily and already felt far more encouraged by their discussion. By the time she left, her vision had mostly returned and she was able to return to the room where the others should have been – but weren’t. Curious to where they were, she wandered around the small village until she found them.While Loke was speaking with Onslow, Cyrene had returned Dias’ scalpel and invited everyone to her home for dinner later that night. She knew Onslow could talk for a long time, and she suspected that a conversation amongst people of their level could continue on at great lengths. She wasn’t wrong. It was already time for dinner and everyone was present and ready to eat except for Loke and Onslow. Onslow returned first, since it was his home, but Loke took a little bit longer. Onslow had forgotten to mention dinner and when Loke did arrive, Onslow got a silent berating from Cyrene. Regardless, everyone was jovial and was enjoying a relaxing dinner.Dinner was brought to a rapid close with the sounds of screaming and shouting from outside. One of the men who was with Cyrene down on the forest floor poked his head inside. “The village is on fire. You should escape out the back exit. We’ll get everyone out”As if one body, Loke, Magnar, Blu, and Dias all rose from the table and ran to their lodgings. Magnar lingered behind for a brief moment to speak to Onslow and Cyrene. “Please leave with the rest of the village. We’ll take care of the fire and will find you after.” He worried that Dias’ fears were coming true.Magnar rejoined the others and they went through the main entrance to try to face those that were setting fire to the village. Going down was a lot easier, but the distance was quite great. They saved some time by jumping to the landings when they felt it was a safe height, but it still felt like it was taking a long time. On the way down, Dias confronted Loke about the scalpel. He was protective of his tools and was very displeased that she went against his previous protests about it.“What did you inscribe on this scalpel, Loke? What did you take it for?”“It’s the symbol of Lusaa. It should enhance its abilities.” Loke dropped to the next platform with a thud. “I’m certain you have an affinity to light.”“I don’t know how you came to that conclusion, but I feel like you might be mistaken. And I never asked for any modifications.”“I know. But just try it, please. I only want to help.”Dias understood her desire to help, but still was frustrated at her defiance to his requests.“Dias, just go with it. She was right about mine and did amazing work with Blu’s stuff. You never know when it will come in handy. If she was wrong, yell at her later.” Magnar was worried about how anyone had found them.Once they reached the bottom, they rushed out into the clearing where a number of soldiers were launching fire arrows up into the trees. Magnar shouted at them, mostly to draw their attention and get them to stop setting fire to the village.“So, it looks like the village sent out some rag tag group to stop us.” The soldier burst out into laughter while the others joined him in his humor.“We aren’t villagers from here, but we don’t appreciate you burning down the forest. There are a lot of other people and wildlife here that this fire impacts, you know.” Magnar looked up at the fire and back at the soldiers with rage in his eyes.“That’s not something that we’re bothered about. We’re just here to get vermin like you.”The group had no choice but to engage the soldiers. Some were easier to deal with than others because their unconventional methods weren’t something a solider was trained to battle, the seasoned soldiers put up the worst fight because they could adapt. Magnar never had to fight so many at once and was struggling to keep eyes on Loke, who was his greater concern. Blu did his best to hit anyone coming up behind Magnar or Dias while staying close to Loke. Dias threw the scalpel Loke had doctored and was able to blind a trio of soldiers he threw it at without any effects on himself. He had to admit to himself that Loke might know what she’s doing. He was able to retrieve it and use it several more times to their advantage. Loke was doing her best to not be useless but close quarters weren’t doing her any favors. She’d managed to scrawl on a few rocks and pelt them at soldiers to slow them down for a few seconds. It wasn’t much but she did what she could. Ultimately, the soldiers were defeated or rendered blinded and were bound to the bottom of several of the trees. Exhausted, they made their way through the trees to try and find the villagers. Cyrene found them first and guided them to the rest of the village.One of the children came up to Cyrene and tugged on her sweater. “Miss ‘rene, where are we gonna go?”“I’m not sure yet, but Onslow will guide us to safety once again. We’ll rebuild again, don’t worry.” Cyrene really had no idea what they were going to do now.“If I may, Cyrene, Onslow, I have a suggestion. It isn’t exactly the most optimal, but it might be the only one we have at the moment.”“I’m open to all suggestions, Loke. What do you have in mind?” Onslow was completely out of ideas and needed to, once again, get his village somewhere safe.“We should guide the villagers to Holom. Holom isn’t the easiest place to take everyone, but it is still has the largest Biyeho population and, when I left, it was generally safe. There are plenty lot of people against us, but at the very least, you don’t have to worry about things like in Teo.” Loke had decided that anything more pressing could wait and this entire Biyeho village was her new priority.“It’s the only option we have, but the only way to Holom is through Caax. Can you get us through Caax safely?” Cyrene worried most about everyone's safety, especially after losing so many when leaving Nich.Magnar pulled out his map of Caax. “It won’t be easy, especially with this many people, but I can do my best to keep us in safer areas. We’ll pass the way we used to get here, but avoid the villages we stopped at along the way. I suspect they might have been partially responsible for what happened today. Crossing the bridge will be difficult, but we’ll come up with a strategy before we get there. Once we get to Caax, I should be able to avoid hot spots and get everyone across the border to Holom. It might be rough because we’ll need to avoid roads for much of it.”“It is already late; we should find a safe place to sleep for the night. I also would like to have a better look at the wounded. Blu, if you could continue to help with basic bandages, I would appreciate it.” Dias was taking a quick inventory of his supplies.“Of course. I would love to.”They didn’t really find a good place to camp, but it was enough for the group to keep the villagers safe for the night. It was slower moving through the forest to get back to Caax, but they were still covering good ground despite the size of the party. They were getting closer to the bridge and were going to need to come up with a strategy to get everyone across. It wasn’t like last time, where they made a break for it and were safe once they were across. This time they had to get an entire village population across and remain in the country, so they couldn’t afford to be chased or followed.The final plan for getting out of Yopa was to send Magnar ahead of everyone else and try to bribe or make an arrangement so that they could get through undetected. Blu went with him, but would wait at the halfway point so that he could relay the message to everyone faster. They all were hiding just inside the forest waiting for Blu’s instruction, but it was a difficult wait. Everyone was tired and they all knew that it was going to be even more difficult once they reached Caax. The smaller children were having the most difficulty with the journey. They were already scared from the fire, but they were now also afraid of the animals that would attack from time to time. Loke wanted to get them to Holom as soon as possible.Together with Onslow, Loke set up a makeshift ritual space and they made a simple offering to the god of fortune to smile on Magnar’s attempts. It was all they could do from their position and with all the villagers lending their support and offering their words; surely the god would smile upon them.It felt like forever when Blu finally returned, but even though he was almost out of breath and exhausted, he returned with a smile on his face. “Magnar managed to do it. He’s waiting on the bridge, but we have to get to the other side before dawn. The shift change is at dawn and for us to be able to cross without being pursued we need to go as soon as possible.”Onslow and Cyrene got the villagers together and led them across the bridge, with Loke and Blu on the sides and Dias following up the rear. It was getting closer to dawn as the entire village reached the other side, but Magnar was waiting for them and talking with the guards. The guards’ backs were to them as they passed by as quietly as possible and walked along the coastline. Loke watched for Magnar as long as she could, but at some point, he faded from their view. A short time after dawn, Magnar caught up to the village and spoke briefly with Dias before coming up to speak with Loke.“We should probably stop soon. According to the map, there’s a small wooded area that we should be able to take cover in, but it won’t be comfortable for the kids, or anyone really, but we can’t just stay out in the open fields.”“I’m sure we’ll all manage for the time being, but how did you convince the guards?” Loke thought it was strange how easily they were ignored this time.Magnar shrugged. “They’re still farmers. I gave them advice that should help them with their crops next year so they’ll fail less. Well, that and some hybrid seeds that withstand drought a little better.”“You were carrying seeds?” Loke had no idea when or where he would have gotten any.“Never know when they’d be needed. Anyway, I’m going to guide the group from here. Anything happens, don’t take it on yourself.”“As if I would.” Loke mumbled.Magnar heard her and called back as he ran off. “You know you would!”They made it to the wooded area safely, but everyone was reaching their limits and, as Magnar predicted, everyone was uncomfortable. The adults understood and were less likely to complain, but the youngest children were either busy playing around or cranky. Once everyone was as settled as they could be and the group leaders had gotten some sleep, the four travelers and the two that seemed to be in charge of the village sat together for a brief meeting to discuss next steps.“I’ve highlighted a few areas that might be safer to stop and have everyone rest.” Magnar opened a more detailed map of Caax.“Magnar, this place here is out in the open. I can’t let the villagers stay out in the open like this.” Cyrene frowned and looked at the map for a different wooded area, but didn’t really see any.“This place is fine. It’s my farm. I don’t have a lot of room in the house, since it’s pretty small, but it should be good for the young kids and I have two outbuildings that aren’t currently full of crops that people can stay in. It will be tight, but at least it is definitely safer than a town.”Loke looked at the map and was already thinking ahead. “Would it be possible to let them stay at your farm for a little while? I’m thinking of going ahead to Holom to arrange a place for everyone to ultimately move to. If we all just walked into the city, there wouldn’t be anywhere for everyone to have a home.”“I suppose, but Caax has been known to have people check on the farms from time to time…” Magnar knew his was a particular target.“I’m sure we can come up with some story. We’re all very good at hiding.” Onslow offered.“But Onslow, that’s quite a lot of people to hide from the investigators. The house and outbuildings aren’t going to be enough for them all to hide well enough.”Onslow dismissed Magnar’s concerns. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll manage. You got caught up in our plight and we couldn’t thank you enough for everything you’re doing for us here. This is far beyond any expectations.”“Loke, do you think you can find something quickly for them? I hate leaving them on my farm while we go to Holom, but at the same time, maybe we can leave Dias and Blu with them for support while we look around.”Blu looked uncomfortable about that suggestion. He didn’t hate it, since he could try and get Dias to teach him more, but at the same time, he wanted to continue to travel with Loke.Dias shrugged. “I don’t have too much of an argument either way. If you wish for me to stay and help with everyone here, I can do that. Blu has been helpful along the way with helping me take care of those with some minor injuries.”Blu flushed brightly with the compliment. He didn’t think that Dias even noticed him all that much, but for him to compliment him, it was a little overwhelming.Loke’s brow furrowed while she thought about the proposition. “I don’t know how long it would take, but it might be a viable option. I do have clearance to speak with Edras, so we might be able to get amnesty. However, Edras is a different problem on its own.”“Who is Edras?” Magnar figured he was someone important, but he figured not everyone here knew either.“Edras is the one currently ruling of Holom, in a way. He is definitely Tumben, but because of how many people of the Biyeho still reside in Holom, he hasn’t proceeded with anything drastic. However, he has been trying to secretly create restrictive rules against us, so it could be a challenge. But if we bring in a whole village of people unannounced, it might be even more disastrous.” Loke wondered if anyone actually knew about Holom’s politics. If anyone did, she suspected it would be Dias. He always knew more than he let on.“And you meeting with him could get us a safe place to rebuild our village?” Cyrene sounded hopeful but was highly skeptical.“Cyrene, they’ll do their best. Let’s just leave it to them.” Onslow was trying to keep Cyrene calm.“It is worth a try.” Loke knew that even if Edras didn’t like it, she had a card up her sleeve she could play, but it would be a last resort. “We’ll head out tomorrow for the next point Magnar plotted, then, when we get to the farm, we’ll head out from there to try and secure you a place for Seibal to rebuild.”Onslow bowed at Loke. “May the gods bless you with good fortune.”“We can prepare a special offering before we depart for Holom. I would definitely like to make sure everyone is protected as well.” Loke added.The trip to Magnar’s farm was a little rougher than they all hoped. Several people had developed high fevers and there were quite a few sprains and a couple of broken bones. Once they reached the farm, Dias didn’t waste any time tending to the sick and injured with Blu trailing close behind him. Magnar did his best to rearrange a number of furniture pieces and farm equipment so that more people could stay in the two outbuildings. Loke and Onslow were preparing a ceremony for a rather involved ritual, with the aid of Cyrene.Once sun set and a number of villagers set to work making a dinner for everyone that could refill their stomachs and their spirits (although leaving Magnar’s food storage a bit emptier), Loke and Onslow led everyone behind the house to where they had set up a small altar. Everyone had gathered and knelt in an organized fashion behind the altar area. Cyrene stood to the side to act as an assistant. It was rare for her to not be part of the ceremony, but for a priest and high priestess to be able to perform such a thing together was a rare sight and she was almost overwhelmed with emotion.On the makeshift altar, several bowls with fruits and nuts were placed along the front edge. A small bowl of oil and a bowl of herbs were placed on the back edge near Loke and Onslow. A dish was placed in the center of the table with kindling and a small fire was lit on the plate. They began the ceremony with a melodic chanting in sync and not becoming maligned at any point. During the chants, Loke spread some of the herbs in a circular pattern with geometric shapes within the circle across the altar on her side and Onslow traced over them with the oil. On the other side, Cyrene placed a bowl of water for them to cleanse their hands. Once their hands had been cleaned and Cyrene removed the bowl, a small twig was ignited by the fire and placed along the oil and herbs. As expected, the fire flared briefly, but settled quickly and was left burning in the shape that the oil had traced out. The fragrance from the herbs was pleasant but permeated through the group. The chanting began once again, this time with them alternating between passages. While one chanted, the other set fruit and nuts along the burning pattern. As the chanting ended, the fire was all but out and the smell of herbs still lingered in the air, as well as the smell of roasted nuts and fruit. Loke collected the fruit into one larger bowl while Onslow collected the nuts into another. Walking towards the rest of the group, they passed out the items and encouraged them to be eaten by everyone. The sharing of the offerings marked the end of their ceremony and once the bowls were empty, the fire had been burnt itself out and Cyrene had begun to clean the altar so that it could be dismantled to have the evidence removed.Most of the villagers had gone to find their places to sleep while Cyrene, Dias, and Magnar cleaned up from the ceremony. Onslow had gone with the villagers, as he was quite tired from the ceremony. Loke was pretty tired herself, but Blu stopped to talk with her briefly.“I know that you’re probably very tired from that amazing ceremony, but I was wondering if you could teach me a little more before you leave tomorrow.”“Of course. Let’s sit on the porch.” The porch was full of extra furniture from the inside of the house, but Loke got comfortable on top of a few crates while Blu sat on an end table. “Was there anything in particular you were curious about?”“When we were in the hole in Yopa, Dias had mentioned some names of spirits, but he didn’t know a whole lot. And the exchange with Cyrene didn’t make much sense to me either. It also seems like you might know more now than you did before, but that’s just an impression.”Loke tried to think of what she explained before. “Well yes, sort of. I feel like it was something I knew but had forgotten the details. At that outpost in Nich it somehow came back to me like I was silly enough to have forgotten something so important in the first place. Also, I should probably explain some other concepts a bit more clearly. It’s a lot of information so I’ll try to keep it as clear as I can. But you can also ask Cyrene or Onslow after I leave if you have more questions. Hopefully I won’t repeat myself too much.”Blu nodded and looked at her with great interest.“Well, while there are gods for just about everything, the Biyeho system also believes that gods are mortal, in a sense. If they aren’t currently walking among us, their souls are waiting for someone that they deem worthy enough to inhabit. They have the ability to fuse with your existing soul. That is why they aren’t explicitly born into the world as we are, but they are always watching us. When they determine someone exemplifies their particular gift, they will fuse with that soul and that person will become the embodiment of that god. And sometimes the god doesn’t fuse with a person at all but will lend someone their powers, so that person will have said to be carrying the power of a god. I’ve never personally met anyone that falls into that particular category, but supposedly it’s what happens. Some say it’s the most pious, but of all the priests I’ve known, none of them have those abilities so I’m more inclined to think it’s more a whimsy of the particular god. Still with me?”“Yes. So, like, if one of the gods that is watching us decides that someone is say, super patient, the god of patience may decide to become that person?”“Essentially, yes, that’s how I understand it. Now, in regards to the spirits, the spirits are immortal and everywhere. They’re simply spirits of the main elementals of the world. The basic ones most people remember is earth, water, fire, and air.”“Those were the ones Dias mentioned.” Blu added.Loke nodded. “Good. Then there are additional ones that aren’t really thought about as often, but are equally important. For instance, whenever I inscribe those pellets for you, I use the symbol of Rehu, spirit of lightning. The spirits aren’t related to any god in particular and will come usually to the aid of those that offer their words of belief towards them; similarly to a god, but only if they have an affinity towards that element. You were already using the pellets from before, so Rehu had already aligned with you. When I carve them for you, every time I finish the symbol, I get a rather annoying shock since I don’t have affinity to lightning.”Blu looked worried. “You don’t have to keep hurting yourself for me. I can take care of that myself. I had no idea it was doing that.”“It isn’t really a bother, but I can show you how to do it for yourself. Anyway, when I was trying to help Dias and Magnar, I was having difficulties with my inscriptions because I don’t have an affinity towards Trir of earth or Lusaa of light either. But the charms I’ve created for my bracelet are the markings of the spirit of time, Timop, which I seem to have some affinity towards. Or at the very least, it isn’t hurting me in any way that I’ve noticed.”“Oh, so that’s why when you tried to use my weapon, you couldn’t?”“Exactly. Though there’s a possibility if we swapped symbols I could use it for time bullets, but I couldn’t even try to predict what that would do. Does that answer your questions?”“Mostly, yeah. I guess I can ask the other villagers when I have questions while you’re in Holom. I’d like to be able to come with you, but I should stay here with Dias and the others.”“Hopefully they will give you a good education in my stead. Now let’s get some sleep. I think Dias likes you helping out even if he doesn’t explicitly say so. When everything is over you can visit me in Holom some time.”“Thanks again, Loke. I wish I was able to learn this stuff at the orphanage instead of trying to piece it together now, but after being in the other orphanage I understand why they didn’t.” Blu hopped down and went to find someplace to sleep.
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Magnar and Loke left early for Holom. There were so many people in his house and out buildings that he could only hope that they wouldn’t be spontaneously inspected before he could get everyone out of Caax. Knowing Palen, it wasn’t likely to be the case. The road had plenty of suspicious looking people on it, most of which just eyed them curiously and kept moving. Occasionally, someone would stop them and ask where they were going and who they were. Usually Magnar was able to smooth it over with a brief explanation about how his crops failed, like everyone else’s, but he was escorting Loke back home for some extra cash. It wasn’t a lie at all, but every so often, one of them wouldn’t buy it and they would have to try and fight their way around them. Though, they were farmers, so they weren’t really versed in battle and after Magnar smacked them with the back end of a scythe, they usually let them alone. The biggest problem was something neither of them anticipated. When they finally arrived at the border, were Caax soldiers and farmers stationed along the border's edge – not only on the road, but from what they could see, it was a man made boundary of what they assumed was the entire distance of the Holom-Caax border. Loke explained to the guards on the road who she was and that she hired Magnar and showed her citizen identification before they finally let them into Holom.Holom wasn’t exactly how Loke left it which wasn’t much to here liking, but it wasn’t drastically different. People in the few villages where they stopped and stayed in were slightly more impoverished as expected from the failures in Caax, but from what they learned, were still a fair mix of Tumben and Biyeho. Magnar was improving his map as they went along and Loke spent a lot of the trip in deep thought. It worried Magnar a little how she didn’t really say all that much, but he thought it was better than arguing. Except when the silence when on for way too long, he thought that the arguments might be a welcome change of pace.Holom city was fairly bustling and a stark difference from Teo. It was the first time this far into Holom for Magnar and he was quite surprised at how busy it was. He almost lost Loke in the crowd as she was trying to guide him to her house.“This place is insane. Far busier than Teo. And these roads don’t make any sense. How do you even get anywhere?”Loke didn’t look at him and stopped in front of a nondescript house that was sandwiched between other houses that were larger but also looked somewhat nicer than hers. “It’s home, I don’t know, how can you tell farms apart?”“They all look different to me." He realized her point and dropped the argument. "So, this is your house?”“It isn’t much, but it’s my home.” She led him inside her house. The main room was floor to ceiling with books and even more books and papers strewn about the floor.“It could be a lot more welcoming if you didn’t have all these books. It looks like the walls are made from books!” Magnar felt like he should have been surprised but somehow expected it.“Well, they are something like walls. They go a few layers deep.” Loke latched the door behind Magnar.Magnar stopped and looked at her with actual astonishment. “Wait, how many books do have?”Loke pushed past him and went further into the room. “Probably about five thousand or so. I haven’t counted, but they do have a set organizational structure so I know where to find things.”“So, if you needed a book that was behind one of these other books on the bottom, how do you get to it?” Magnar fixed his eyes on a smaller red book at the bottom of one of the stacks.“Carefully.”Loke didn’t want to explain that usually they toppled down on her and she had to restack things so many times, which is why she knew where everything was so readily. There were some people in the city, usually other priests, which would use her as a private library and borrow books from her from time to time. She did have one book that sat alone on a shelf by the front door that listed the book and the borrower, so she would never lose that particular record.She proceeded through her house to a back room that looked like it should be a bedroom. Magnar looked around and this room didn’t look much different than the living room, except that along the one wall between some shorter piles of books was a bed.“Since you are the guest in my home, you can use the bed. Tomorrow I’ll speak with Edras and you can roam around the city as much as you’d like. I don't really need any protection in the city. I guess you could say it’s like a day off for both of us.” She started stacking books and papers that were lying on the floor. Compared to Magnar’s house which was surprisingly very orderly, hers was extremely haphazard and looked almost dangerous.Magnar liked the thought of a day off without any inherent risks or dangers. “It’s your house, there’s no reason you shouldn’t have the bed. But a day off does sound a bit refreshing.”“I’ll be fine elsewhere. I don’t really sleep in it all that often myself, actually. So please, use it.” Loke often found herself asleep at her desk, which was only mostly covered in piles of papers.She showed him the rest of the house, which was a kitchen that should have been free from books, but wasn’t. At least they were limited and away from where any sort of cooking fire would be. There was a small private wash room and also a locked door that she forbade him to go into. Of course it only made him want to check it out even more, but for now he was just going to let it go.By the time Loke got herself up and situated, Magnar had already left the house. She lived in the southeastern part of the city and Edras usually was on the north side where the nobles resided. She was roughly familiar with his schedule and she decided she could take her time getting through the city and stop to visit a few places she usually would visit. Her visits were two fold – visit just to visit, and see if there was anything going on that might be important.She stopped to pick up some fresh bread for breakfast from the local baker and learned that the crop failures in Caax were impacting his business as well. Even though he didn’t raise crops himself, he did say that he started to make offerings to the god of agriculture for improved crops next year. This country depended on them as much as Caax did. The little bit of farmland near the border was all Holom had that was agriculturally significant and the city had quite a lot of citizensHer next stop was to the paper mill, as she often needed more pages for notes and she thought it a nice gesture to get a large parchment for Magnar to make a map on as a gesture of thanks. The paper mill had been quite busy, as it seemed that there were large paper orders coming in. She had watched the laborious process one day and for someone to order hundreds of pages made her monthly order of two or three pages seem rather insignificant. According to the owner of the mill, much of the paper had been ordered by Palen in Caax. The rumor around the city was that he was going to offer rewards for anyone that turns in a believer. Things in Caax were already tough for believers and Loke could only think that with a reward, people will be turning in their non-believer neighbors for the reward. Especially since Caax seemed to also be struggling economically this year. In the southwestern neighborhoods, she stopped at the main center for Biyeho activities. There was an office here that priests and priestesses would be able to pick up assignments or leave reports of important happenings. Loke had been up late drafting a brief report of what she had encountered so far in Caax, Nich, and Yopa and needed to drop it off.Finally, as she reached the opposite side of the city, it was already late afternoon and the activity around Edras’ manor indicated that he was likely inside. She was well acquainted with the men at the gate and they gave her a smile as she walked right past them. The guard at the door wasn’t someone she was familiar with, however and he gave her a bit of a rough time.“State your business.”“I wish to speak with Edras.” Loke spoke firmly.“Do you have an appointment?”Loke fought back a laugh. “No. I don’t think it would be necessary.”“Lord Edras doesn’t just speak with people. How did you get past the guards at the gate?”Loke sighed. This person that Edras hired clearly was trying to be exemplary at his job and was wearing her patience. She reached down the collar of her shirt and pulled out a pendant to show the guard. He immediately struck to attention and let Loke pass through.“May you have a good day, your majesty.”“To you as well.” Loke let her pendant rest on the outside of her dress for now. If there were any other new people about, it would save her added grief.Loke headed into the mansion and up the stairs, straight to Edras’ office. She barely knocked as she opened the door and entered the room. Edras was caught by surprise and nearly fell out of his seat.“S-Sacniete! What are you doing here? Didn’t you go off on some quest for your priestess stuff or something?” Edras was clearly nervous.Loke frowned. She wondered what he was hiding. He was usually exuding extreme confidence. “I’m having a short homecoming for a bit of business.”“Oh, I see. Then welcome back.” Edras still looked a little worried, but his voice evened out and most of his anxiety started to wane.“I wanted to talk to you about a few things. I assume you are aware of what’s going on in Caax, right? Especially in Teo?” Loke didn’t want to waste any time, especially here and, as her usual meetings with Edras, she kept things direct and to the point.“Caax’s crop failure is our problem too, you know. We’re doing what we can to support them, but it’s been pretty hard. I don’t know what you mean about Teo specifically.” Edras’s confidence was returning and he was now sitting upright without any hint of his previous anxiety.She knew he wasn’t being honest since just about everyone in the city and countryside had been chatting about it, but she just let him go for the moment. “There’s widespread genocide of believers in the entirety of Caax. Teo is almost horrifying in that they are making a public spectacle of murder. Rumor also has it that they are going to start offering a bounty for believers.”“Why does any of that concern me?” Edras dismissed.Loke took a deep breath, not wanting to completely lose her temper. “Because, at some point the people who wish to have some money to eat will start turning in their non-believer neighbors. As a neighboring nation, it’s sentiment is already spreading into our countryside. I know you aren’t terribly concerned with our specific plight, but I figure that could directly affect some of your family and friends.”Edras snorted and narrowed his eyes at her. He knew she was right, but hated to admit it. “So, if all this stuff turns out to be true, what did you really come here for? It certainly wasn’t a lecture and you’ve been gone a while so it isn’t our usual meeting to evaluate the nation.”“I’m going to be locating an entire village of believers into Holom’s countryside. I expect that they will be treated justly. And if I find out that they aren’t being treated right, or any other believer in this country, I will have to do something about it.” Loke’s voice was firm.Edras smirked. “Would you? You haven’t done much for this country in the past six years as their queen.”“Edras, you’ve been entrusted to govern this beautiful country in my stead since my parents passed and I’ve allowed it to continue under certain conditions since my coronation. You do remember those conditions, right?”“Of course. How could I ever forget them? You won’t let me.” Edras was dismissive.“Good. And wherever you’ve managed to acquire some of this excess money it looks like you’re wasting around this place, send some to the villages. They need it much more than you do.” Crossing her arms, Loke gave a good look around his office. It had finer silk curtains than the castle did and she was fairly certain the rug was also quite new. Textiles weren’t something Holom was known for, so she was certain this was an expensive investment from Wiil, Yopa, or even Zipan.Edras fought back an argument about how he really wasn’t living lavishly, in his opinion, but decided that wasn’t the argument to have right now. He hated how he could be removed from his position at any moment, but was thankful she was rather naïve and somewhat benevolent. But that didn’t stop him from personally wanting to side with Palen’s cause. “You know, I think what might help things out with all this religion stuff would be if you could, you know, find some proof. Like, real hard evidence that you Biyeho aren’t just like the rumors say you are.” He had confidence she wouldn’t be able to find anything.“You know, Edras, that also goes for the Tumben. But, in a way, you’re right. And after I relocate Seibal into Holom, I plan on returning to my research trip and if I find anything that might settle this argument, either way, I will be more than happy to share my findings.”“Great.” Edras smirked, thinking she would easily fail. She wasn’t physically strong and he was quite surprised she came back from Caax alive. It might be best if she didn’t return.“Take care of my country while I’m away.” Loke turned and strode towards the door.“Of course. Long live the queen.”Edras watched through the window until she left the property. He immediately called one of the guards to summon someone from the assassin guild to his estate. While he didn’t think Loke would succeed against his challenge, he wasn’t going to take any chances. She was starting to become a threat to the power he had been enjoying. If the queen didn’t want to let him handle Holom as he had been for nearly twenty years, then he would make sure she never would have a chance to do it herself.It was already after dark when Loke got back to her own house. Magnar had cleared some space in the kitchen and was making some sort of stew for dinner from the few supplies he was able to get from the market. He also had done the best he could to straighten up the rest of the house and set up an area to work on his map of the city. Loke was completely speechless at how clean her place looked despite the books and found Magnar in the kitchen.“That smells really good. What are you making?” Loke couldn’t remember the last time her home smelled like anything besides an old library.“Just a stew. The items in the marketplace seemed a little slim, so I didn’t want to affect the regulars all that much. Any luck with Edras?”“I think so. I got you something while I was out today. I set it where you have your map set up. I’m going to look something up really quick.”“Hey, Loke…” Magnar called after her.Loke stopped and turned around. “Hm?”“I want to talk about something while we eat. It’s kinda important.”“Sure. We should discuss Seibal’s relocation also.”Loke disappeared into her bedroom and Magnar stared at the soup. While he didn’t find a lot of items to buy in the market, he learned a lot about Holom and possibly about his employer. It was information he wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he also wasn’t completely sure about how true the information was. If what he heard was true, he would need to think about his future with her much more carefully.Once the food was cooked, Magnar poured a few bowls and set them on the table before setting through the house to find Loke. He found her on the floor with a new spread of books and falling asleep against the bed. He laughed to himself and thought all those rumors he heard couldn’t have been about her and gently shook her awake. “Hey, hungry?”Loke rubbed her eyes and startled herself awake. She didn’t realize she fell asleep and was quick to drop the books and follow him back to the kitchen. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep like that. I guess speaking with Edras took a lot out of me.” Meetings with Edras were always stressful for her.“Yeah. I wanted to talk about that, actually. Edras is in charge here, right? How come you were so easily able to see him? Doesn’t it take serious clout to get an audience with a monarch? Is your priestess status enough?” Magnar didn’t bother to start eating; mostly keeping his focus on her while she ate.Loke shoved some potatoes in her mouth but answered Magnar while she chewed. “Edras isn’t a monarch. He’s been entrusted to run the country by proxy. He is a lord, but he’s been keeping tabs on things for a long time now.”“Ok, so he isn’t a king. But that still doesn’t answer my questions.” Magnar worried he was pressing her too hard and wondered if he should have been less direct.Loke set her spoon down and looked into her bowl. She could feel tears forming but was fighting them the best she could. “I don’t want to tell you. I don’t want to tell anyone. You don’t know the history of Holom, especially about the monarchy.”“No, but I heard some interesting rumors today. I heard that while Edras is running things, there’s a queen out there somewhere that’s been avoiding her responsibilities and abandoned her country and her people. Also, this queen supposedly deep into Biyeho despite Edras being Tumben. And despite all of that, everyone only had kind words to say about their absent queen. A few Biyeho I spoke to are starting to question things, especially with stories coming out of Caax. Loke, what is going on in this city?”Loke was quiet when she started talking. “I was six when my parents were murdered. I was raised by those we witnessed in Teo's square. It was only four short years, but I studied hard and became a priestess at ten. I moved back to the city to study under the priests here. Because of them, I was ultimately able to become a high priestess at sixteen. While I was learning from them, the advisors that aided my parents ruled in my stead since I was too young to command an entire country. Once I became of age at eighteen and was brought into the court, I discussed a lot of things with Edras and the other advisors. They had been keeping the country in such good care for when I could have the throne that I decided that they could be entrusted to continue their service for a while so I could continue to be Holom’s high priestess. There are several conditions that Edras must abide by and until I left Holom, we met regularly to discuss affairs. Aside from that, everything I said about this adventure has been true.”“So, you are the queen that abandoned her people.” Magnar crossed his arms not really sure what to make of her short story.Loke couldn’t believe out of all of what she told him, that was what he was hung up on. “I never abandoned them! I’m doing all of this to help protect them! As long as Edras follows our conditions, Holom will be safe. When this attack on Biyeho all through Itzam dies down, then I can feel comfortable enough to rule on my own. I don't feel strong enough to do anything right as the queen cooped up in this small nation, but as a priestess, I'm better equipped to handle a religious dispute and have much more freedom to do so.” She lost her fight to keep back tears as she yelled her defense.He watched a few teardrops fell into her soup and Magnar knew he shouldn’t have crossed the line but he still wanted clarity so he kept pushing her. “So, what were these conditions? Why would you hire someone like me and not take some of your royal guards in disguise or something? They're obviously better equipped for conflict.”“The conditions were largely centered on being fair to both religions, not to let people fall into poverty, things of that nature. I wanted to prevent the god of misfortune from taking advantage of our country as I fear it is doing to others. But I truly don’t consider myself to be a queen. Yes, it might be a title that I’ve been given, but to travel in that capacity when the diplomatic things are largely left to Edras would be even more insulting to my people. Not to mention, I would be an easy target. Also, given the climate in the other countries, were it widely known that a high priestess was also the queen of Holom; it would create larger international tensions especially between Caax and Yopa. Having Edras, a Tumben, keeping things going, it lessens the political burden to an extent.”Magnar sat quiet for a few moments contemplating Loke’s explanation. He didn't realize she was cognizant of as many issues as she was, and he would have never expected her to actually have such a position. He thought her being a high priestess was pretty impressive, but a high priestess and a queen was something he didn't know how to react to. She certainly didn't behave in any manner that he expected a queen to behave.Loke noticed Magnar was unusually quiet and quickly scrambled to fill the silence. "Please don't tell the others. It isn't something I want known. Most of the people in this city don't even know that I'm Her Majesty Sacniete.” She emphasized her title with sarcasm. “They either know me as Loke the priestess or the strange girl with all the books. I want to keep it that way as long as I can."Magnar relented. It was a lot of information to take in and since it was clearly important to her and probably the stability of her country, he could keep quiet about it. "Alright. But it isn't something that I can't easily forget I heard, you know. Like, am I supposed to treat you with reverence or something? And what's Sacniete?”“My official name. We don't use our birth names in public for the royal family, for safety. Just think about it like today is a huge joke. I’m not the royal type, right? So please, don’t think of me as such. I’m the same Loke you’ve known the entire time.” She was a little worried that she just gave away too much personal information about her and the country she was duty bound to protect, but he had yet to betray any sort of trust she had in him and hoped he’d continue to be just as trustworthy.“You sure aren’t the royal type. I can agree with that statement.” He saw she was still pretty upset and he groaned and rubbed the back of his head. “That look doesn’t suit you and you’re ruining the stew. I’ll forget we had this conversation. Let’s talk about something else. What about Seibal?”Loke wiped her eyes and nodded gently. “We just need to get the villagers here. They’ll be allowed to relocate and form their own village. Since it is my decree, I’ve instructed Edras to not interfere.”“That’s fantastic news. The challenge is going to be getting them over the border. There weren’t really any gaps to exploit and moving so many people would be almost impossible.” Magnar was back to thinking about logistics and trying to ignore that he was speaking so plainly to royalty.“And to engage a few of them would quickly turn sour since there were quite a lot of inspectors along the road so they would be free to serve as back up against us. Most of the villagers aren’t really able to fight.” Loke had already looking focused once again, to Magnar’s relief.“We should probably head back sooner than later. I’m worried about the surprise inspections. My home has been targeted a lot more than my neighbors in the past. Palen seems to have a personal vendetta against me, so we should get them out quickly.”Loke let out a slightly amused sound. “I also seem to have added an extra burden on my end as well. Once we get everyone into Holom, I need to be extra attentive for anything that could be demonstrative proof of the gods.”Magnar was about to shove the spoon in his mouth when he stopped abruptly. “How the hell did that happen?”Loke shrugged. “Edras posed a challenge. Solve most of the conflicts by demonstrating concrete proof. If I can end everything by proving their existence, then it isn’t a bad way to go.”“You’re being naïve. Anyone would twist it around and deny it anyway. Don’t waste your energy on that. But if we find something, then we find something. Just don’t change your core mission, whatever it seems to be right now. I’m sure there are plenty of Biyeho out there that might have good ideas. We found Seibal, right? It’s an entire village of Biyeho that can help give you more ideas and ask the gods for support.”“As long as it isn’t the god of war.”“As long as it isn’t the god of war,” Magnar repeated in concurrence.Magnar insisted Loke have her own bed for the night. She was emotionally exhausted and he had some map making to work on. The parchment she had brought him was some of the best he’d ever seen and he was a little apprehensive about writing on it. Instead, he decided he would save it for his grand map of Itzam since he figured she’d drag him all over the world. He could put all his other maps together and make one map he could be really proud of. He had sketched out the streets in the southern part of town and while he wanted to venture to the rest of the city, they had more important business to take care of and he could always come back and map it another time. However, Magnar didn’t get as much work as he intended to that night because their earlier conversation kept seeping into his mind. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask her in sincerity, but he saw how much she wanted to keep that title from influencing anything and how desperate she was for him to forget about it. She lived in a rather small place in the middle of a lower class neighborhood, too. It was something she obviously was trying very hard to ignore. On the other hand, because of who she was, he was starting to see the importance of her quest and his job just became even more vital to her success.Loke had a hard time staying asleep. Speaking with Edras was a last resort for her and even still, she didn’t want to reveal anything to any of her travel companions, particularly Magnar. It wasn’t that she was worried he wouldn’t respect her desire to keep the secret safe, but she was concerned even more about his treatment of her. She worried he would now be extremely over protective, as several other bodyguards had been in the past when she would travel to and from Caax. She was right to have kept it quiet when she hired him, and she was worried that a completely different journey would be ahead of her.
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Magnar’s house was crawling with villagers. Most of them had set up as much of a comfortable bunking situation that they could in the outbuildings with hanging hammocks and make shift beds of hay. They had a rotating staff of look outs and even prepared for a surprise inspection, which, as Magnar predicted, happened twice already. Dias and Cyrene came up with the plan and it seemed to have gone over smoothly for both inspections. Claiming this was an abandoned house with outbuildings that were most useful, Dias, a traveling war physician with no affiliation, was utilizing the space as a temporary hospital to other travelers along the road. Everyone had fashioned some sort of bandages or compresses to fool the inspectors as they came through. Blu and Cyrene acted as his nurses and Dias even helped one of the soldiers with a small injury, which just further solidified his story. Blu had learned the proper ways of making offerings, even when the offerings were only words, from some of the younger villagers. Before bed he would make offerings for protection for everyone and for a safe journey for Loke and Magnar.Just as a third inspection was making its way to Magnar’s farm, Loke and Magnar, having just arrived, were speaking with Cyrene, Onslow, Dias, and Blu on the front porch. It almost seemed like a glorious procession with a number of horses. The horse in the front was especially ornate and as it reached the porch, Magnar let out a string of curses under his breath.“Well, I heard this was an abandoned home being used as a medical facility. But it looks like you were home after all, Magnar Lunde.” A young man with freckles and dressed in dark green formal attire dismounted and addressed Magnar directly.“Palen, it's been a while. I actually just returned home and was talking with the doctor about all the work he had been doing. It wasn’t like I was growing anything useful this year, so as long as nothing is missing, it isn’t a problem to me. He’s actually offered to pay rent on the space.” Magnar was ready to say anything to get Palen to leave.“Just returned home? That sounds convenient. I suppose it’s that kindness that the Biyeho seems to toot their horns about.” Palen’s tone was smug and he enjoyed being able to talk down to Magnar.“It doesn’t matter which religion. Both, as I understand, are built upon kindness to others. Maybe you should review your Tumben teachings.” Magnar wondered what god he angered to have Palen himself show up at his doorstep.Palen’s expression only showed more dissatisfaction. “I can be kind. I won’t have you beheaded on the spot today. Is that kind?”“I think not beheading anyone is even kinder.”While the men argued, Loke slipped into the house for a few moments to make sure everyone had scrambled to their staged locations. She then went to her pack and rummaged through it to find some of her stationary and went to Magnar’s drafting desk to write a short letter. She had to continuously be cautious of how she conducted herself. Situations like this would be so easy to reveal her status, but she needed a subtle way to display her authority. Finishing her letter, she melted some of a candle and pressed her pendant into it to sign the letter. Cleaning up behind her, and returning the pendant back under her dress, she folded the letter and went back outside to where Magnar and Palen were still arguing, but now about something that sounded like a childhood event instead of any sort of inspection.“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m quite impressed that the ruler of Caax is so young! And that I’d be able to meet him myself is quite an honor. I was under the impression that Caax was run by some grumpy old man.” Loke was trying to break the tension before things got out of hand.Palen turned his attention away from Magnar and looked at the woman approaching them. “I’m glad that I have impressed you, but how did you come to the conclusion that I was an old man?”“It wasn’t anything specific, mostly about how the country seemed to be a little more regressive in policy. But I do admit it was better than the rumor you were a giant ogre.” Loke smiled brightly as she reached them.“A giant ogre… lady, who are you?” Palen hissed at her. He quite disliked her tone and she was awfully brave to be speaking to someone of his level in such a casual manner.Loke noticed she already had gotten under Palen’s skin. No wonder his policies seemed extreme as he didn’t seem emotionally stable enough to keep things in balance. “It’s true that Magnar had no idea his home was being used this way. We just returned from Holom with an ordinance from the queen herself. She has given asylum to anyone coming from Caax for any reason to relocate. I heard about this rumored hospital on the way back and wanted to offer them this option. Everyone here is supposedly a wanderer of some sort and the queen wanted to reach out to them.”“The queen?” Palen laughed at her. “The queen of Holom that almost no one has even seen since her coronation a number of years ago? Edras is essentially the king. It’s only a matter of time until he overthrows the throne in an official capacity. Though, I heard even he doesn’t know where she is so he might just make a declaration at any time.”It took most of Loke’s willpower to keep her calm composure but she understood why Magnar was frustrated with the mere mention of him. “Rumors are a funny thing, Mr. Ogre, as they're false as much as they are true. But she has in fact entrusted us to travel with her wishes and if you wish to see it, I have it here.” She held up the sealed letter.Palen walked to Loke and snatched the letter from her hand. Looking it over, he frowned even more and threw it back at her in disgust. “Do what you want. But I wonder if anyone could pass that border to reach asylum. My guards have been instructed to only let people pass with valid Holom identification.” Palen turned and rode off, gesturing for his soldiers to follow.Once he was out of sight, there was an overwhelming collective sigh of relief. Dias picked up the letter from the ground and looked at it. “This is from the queen. How could you even get something like this? No one has even claimed to have seen her in years.”“Being high priestess has some perks.” Loke took the letter back quickly and started towards the house. She didn’t want to look at anyone at the moment and decided letting everyone inside know things were safe was a better option than face Dias’s questioning.“Magnar, what happened in Holom?” Dias thought he could get more information from Magnar since Loke clearly wasn’t about to tell him anything.Magnar shrugged. “I don’t know how she got it. She said she was going to meet with Edras and gave me the day off. Her house is full of books that I can’t even read. I’m almost afraid to know what’s in her head. But I figured it was her high priestess rank getting her in with those high level people. Holom City was quite an experience though. It was labyrinthine and I never even left the one part of the city. The nice thing was that the people got along regardless of what god or gods they worshiped. No one cared about it at all. If the countryside in Holom can be anything like the city, then these villagers are going to be in a much better place.”Dias had his suspicions, especially about everyone living so harmoniously in this sort of tense climate. There was no way Holom was completely immune from it. He let it go for now then also went back towards the house. “We should get everyone together quickly. I suspect he’s going to strengthen the border after having that exchange.”Magnar knew Palen and it was a safe assumption that he was going to take everything Loke said personally and act upon it. “Yeah, without a doubt.”Blu had been curious about the events from earlier in the day since he was rather far away from any of the actual conversation. While he was on watch, he secretly looked at the letter Loke provided to Palen. Something about the script and the words looked remarkably familiar to him. He knew he had seen that writing before, but the design on the seal was what struck him the most. The design was intricate and quite beautiful. It looked somewhat floral, yet entirely geometric in essence. He felt inspired by it somehow and he knew he wanted to learn more about it. He was learning so much in the past few days with everyone already, he worried his mind might get full and he wouldn’t be able to remember most of it.While Loke and Magnar were in Holom, he had tried to make some for himself. He was quite proficient at the base design, but wondered if he carved the same on the opposite side, if it would have any extra effect. He took the risk and tried one in his weapon and a huge bolt of lightning arced from the barrel and burnt a nearby tree to a crisp. It was remarkably powerful, but he didn’t want to rely on Loke for his pellets especially if it was hurting her.There was a noise on the roof of the main house that broke Blu out of his contemplation. He quickly shoved the letter back where he found it and carefully went to wake up Magnar. As soon as Blu shook Magnar, he heard the sound of something dragging on the roof and was completely awake. He motioned for Blu to go wake up Dias and to head around the back. He made sure everyone was still asleep and made his way to the front door. He heard a thud on his porch and as he was about to open the door, someone pounded on it loud enough to wake everyone on site.A loud voice called out loud enough to ensure everyone was awake. “Hello! I’m sorry for calling on you all so late, but I’m looking for a young lady with light green hair and a strapping young man with dark blue hair! If anyone knows where they are, could you be so kind to lead me to them!” Despite the deep bass of the person’s voice, the tone was overtly effeminate.Dias and Blu came running from the back of the house to the front and Loke, half asleep walked up to join them.“Hello? Is anyone in here? I heard this place with full of life! Or was it full of death? Hello?” The pounding on the door continued.“Magnar, make them go away. We have to leave tomorrow and I’m sure everyone wants to sleep.” Loke started back to the center of the house.“They’re looking for us, stupid.” Magnar yelled as best as he could in a whisper.Dias pushed past Magnar and opened the door enough to let only himself be seen. “May I help you? I have a lot of patients that require a good night’s sleep and you are disturbing their healing process.”“Oh my, what a handsomely rugged doctor. Have you seen these two? I’ve heard they were around this area.” The man had long, luxurious blonde curls and ice blue eyes and extraordinary long lashes. He carried a bag that looked rather heavy as well, which probably explained the dragging noises. He held up a poster of a poorly drawn caricature of Loke and Magnar.“I can’t say that I have. But if I do, whom should I contact?” Dias wanted this character to leave them all alone, but he sensed this was one of those persistent types.“You don’t have to worry about that, handsome. I’ll find them. And when I do, I will DESTROY them.” The last part of his sentence was about two octaves lower and with a rather angry tone in stark contrast to the previous light hearted tone that he now returned to using. “Have a pleasant evening!”The man slung his bag over his shoulder and wandered off into the moonless night. Dias closed the door and sighed as he leaned against it and gave Magnar a serious look. “I don’t know what you two got into in Holom, but if I’m right, that was Betoros. Usually he is known as Betti. He’s a force you do not want to face. He’s notorious for wiping out specific targets in a rather brutal manner. A lot of believers fell to him in the war in Nich and I’ve heard he’s gone freelance as an assassin.”Magnar looked deep into the house and saw Loke asleep once again amongst the women. “It could have been Palen, too. He’s had it out for me since we were kids and since Loke had called him an ogre, and thrust that document in his face, he probably didn’t take that very well.” He remembered what Palen had said to Loke about Edras earlier and wondered if Edras really was planning to take over Holom. That would be one reason, but Edras didn’t know who he was at all. Palen wasn’t aware of Loke’s status, so perhaps it was an effort between the two of them. Either way, it didn’t look good for any of them.Cleaning his glasses with his shirt, Dias tried to hide most of his concerns as he usually did, though he doubted it was successful in this instance. “If it was Palen, or someone in Holom, we now have to be extra careful. We should head out as early as possible and get them all into Holom as soon as possible. After they cross the border, I suggest we separate from them, for their safety.”“Not a bad idea, but you could stay with them. You don’t need to follow us.” Magnar bolted the door and peered out a window.“Something about this entire situation intrigues me. I want to stick around for a while. I assume Blu will be tagging along as well?” Dias looked over in the general direction he knew Blu was listening from.Blu had been quietly listening and watching out the window. “Of course. I still want Dias to teach me everything about helping people and I really like Loke’s lessons. I will make sure to be useful to everyone besides cooking.”In the morning while everyone was getting together to leave, Dias caught Loke up on the events from the night before. She looked extremely worried, but then put a smile on her face and went back to helping everyone gather their things. Magnar was on the roof trying to survey the area and check for any sort of damage. He could see the line of soldiers seemed a little thicker than normal, but there was a small region to the north that looked a little thinner on soldiers. He determined that would be the safest route and broke everyone into four groups. He would take the first group, then Loke, then Blu, then Dias with the final group. Loke gave Magnar the letter so that he could attempt to use it if he got into trouble. Onslow had performed a small ritual of offering to the gods of protection and travelers before joining Magnar in the first group.As they neared the border where soldiers were thinner, Magnar kept staring at the one soldier rather curiously. They looked really familiar, but he had no idea why. He met a lot of people and didn’t always remember them. He decided that might be worth a chance and led the group straight to that soldier.“Oh! I can’t remember your name, but you were one of Blu’s friends, right?” The soldier seemed overly excited and chipper which led Magnar to immediately remember her.“I can’t say that I remember yours either, but I do remember your face. How have things been?” Relief washed over Magnar as he knew this person could be their easiest encounter of this entire journey so far.“Teo is getting worse, but I volunteered for this job because it pays pretty good and the countryside has some great, fresh air! Between you and me, I don’t care who comes in or out.” She leaned in to whisper but her voice wasn’t quiet at all.Magnar smiled. “It looks very fortunate that we ran into you today. My other companions will be coming through shortly. You may remember Loke, she’ll be next.”“Of course! She seemed a bit unusual but she was friendly enough.”“Unusual is a good word to describe her. But after she passes through, Blu should be coming up, with another friend of ours after that.” Magnar hoped Loke and Dias wouldn’t have any problems getting through since if this person was here, then he knew Blu wouldn’t have any problems at all.“That looks like a lot of people you are traveling with though. You are all getting out of Caax because of what’s going on, right?” Winter watched a dozen or so people pass by her into Holom.“Generally speaking, yes.”“Can’t say I blame you! May God smile upon you! Good luck in Holom!” Winter excitedly waved as they all left Caax.“Thanks again!” He couldn’t remember Winter’s name, but at least she didn’t seem to be the type to turn them in. Besides, that was mostly a moot point now as he was in Holom with a letter from the queen herself.Loke had a similar exchange with Winter when she reached the border. However, Winter understood that there was a little bit of urgency to their movement and she knew the shift changes of the soldiers, so she kept the conversation extremely short. Winter was also quite excited to see what Blu had been getting himself into since she last saw him.When Blu reached Winter, they had an excitable reunion with some hugs and plenty of cheer. Winter and Blu ushered everyone across the border while they chatted about their adventure thus far, or at least as much as Blu could describe in a few short moments. He did give a highly favorable description of Dias so that when his group passed by, it would be easier for her to recognize him and to let him pass through. They parted with another hug and Blu ran to join the front of the group and lead them to the meeting point.Dias hadn't met Winter before, but she knew exactly who he was when he came close. "I hear you're a pretty good doctor. A friend of mine has said a lot of great things about you. The name’s Winter.""I'm afraid I'm not sure who you may be, but how do I know your friend?" Dias found her slightly suspicious but this seemed to be the route the other groups had already taken."Ah, I'm friends with Blu and I met Loke and the other guy in Teo a bit ago. I was the one that got them all together. But you should all go through quickly. The guy replacing me should be coming soon and I don't want to get you guys caught. I'll be in pretty hot water too, but hopefully we can meet again soon!""Then, Miss Winter, I thank you for your aid. Stay safe and be cautious here." Dias gave her a nod and led the last of the Seibal village into Holom.Winter waved as they crossed the border. She suspected she would probably lose her job here anyway and decided to vacate her post a little early, before the next guy arrived. She gave a false name when she signed up anyway, so she wasn't too worried about any repercussions.Not too far into Holom, a village that was barely surviving was their meeting point. Once everyone had reunited, Loke explained her arrangement for the village. She explained that they were able to recreate their village as they see fit and would be perfectly safe practicing any of their rituals and ceremonies. They were free to choose anywhere in Holom to establish their village, or to try to revitalize a village that was declining. This village was usually high in trade with Caax, given its proximity to the border, but with Caax not doing well, this town wasn't doing well either. She also presented Onslow with a letter in case he was to arrive in Holom City and the address for the office of Biyeho affairs.Having to focus on moving Seibal out of Yopa had consumed most of anyone’s thoughts about moving forward. Almost anywhere they could go outside of Holom required going through Caax which everyone unanimously agreed was probably not the best idea for them, especially if Betti was in Caax looking for them. Palen’s words about Edras had been eating at Loke’s mind since they met and she was starting to feel a greater sense of urgency.It was Blu that came up with different idea from what had been being tossed around. “I know that it might not be the best place to go, since we probably don’t know much about it, but maybe there are still some Biyeho in the deserts of Wiil?”Loke thought for a moment, mostly wondering how they would even get there and if it would be a monumental waste of time. “Wiil is nearly entirely a desert. I’ve heard that there are a few oases and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that there are Biyeho there, but outside of a few exports, there isn’t a lot of interaction with Wiil in regards to Holom. I don’t even recall seeing any priests listed on the general register we have in our main center.”“I can’t imagine having to go back through Caax right now. Frankly, if we didn’t have to, it would be all the better. But if we went to Wiil, how would we get there?” Outside of Bonam, this village, and the southeastern area of Holom City, Holom itself was a complete mystery to Magnar. At least, until he’d be able to map it.A shadow seemed to overtake Loke. “Holom doesn’t have any major ports, mostly just fishing villages that will get some supplies in from time to time in the south. Even if nothing pans out for us there, we can possibly use Wiil as a new avenue to get us to Tohil at least. It’s worth a try instead of risking Betti or dealing with Palen again.” She still had concerns about Edras but suspected he’d keep quiet a bit longer since she had made her presence known recently.“That seems settled. Would it be worth continuing on today or taking off in the morning?” Dias was mostly watching the villagers roam around and talking to the inhabitants of the village. It looked like they were all getting rather comfortable in this area and wasn’t too worried about them having to struggle to survive this time.“We can probably head out. There are a lot of small villages along the main road we can stop at. We don’t have any nocturnal birds that are out to destroy anyone, so it should be relatively uneventful.” Uneventful was something Loke suspected all of them would be looking forward to. “I haven’t been there since I was a child, but there is a lot of open area and the beaches were actually quite lovely if I am remembering properly.” She knew which village she planned to lead them to, but she had a lot of mixed emotions about returning. She was already bottling up a lot of grief. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to continue to repress it longer or if it would trigger something deeper. For now, Loke decided pushing forward was the only thing she could do.
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Everyone had agreed that Loke had been right about the beauty of the coastline. Comparing it to the places they had been, it was a stark difference in regards to the view and overall lifestyle. As the coast was starting to turn north, a small fishing village was seen up in the distance. It was nearly dusk, but the prospect of a port excited everyone to keep pushing forward. They all hoped that Blu’s suggestion to see what Wiil had to offer would pan out.It was dark by the time they reached the small village and most activity in the village had already ceased. The village was no stranger to visitors, however, since it was along the coast and sometimes the city people would come out to fish or just relax on the beaches. Because of this, by the time they found the inn, it had mostly been filled and the only room remaining was a tiny room with one bed. Even if they shared the room, there wouldn't be enough room for everyone.There was an older man sitting at the bar that was watching the group and overheard their request for a room. He was somewhat intoxicated, but he recognized one of the party members in an instant, but if she was looking for a room at the inn, then she clearly didn’t want to be recognized."I hear you kids are looking for a place to stay." He spoke with intermittent hiccups. "It just so happens that I have some space in my small shanty down the street, if you wouldn't mind some drafty quarters. It’s at least big enough for the four of you."Everyone turned when the old man addressed them and Loke's eyes grew wide. She recognized him immediately despite not having seen him in nearly twenty years. He definitely looked older, but she had no doubt it was him. She was nervous he might reveal her but she still felt somewhat excited to see him once again.Magnar thought his proposal wasn't a bad idea and Holom seemed relatively safe compared to Caax and sleeping indoors always was better than camping. "That sounds like a better option. We're pretty used to drafts already. What do you say?" Magnar turned to look at Loke and noticed she seemed a bit out of it. He snapped in her face to bring her back to reality. "Hey, Loke! What do you think?"She shook her head to bring her back to the moment. "I think it's a fantastic idea. Yes, of course, let's do that."Dias was quick to realize she knew something about this old man but kept it to himself. He was going to watch her extra carefully tonight to see if any suspicions would pan out. Blu mostly only noticed that Dias and Magnar were looking really serious and he was a bit confused, since Loke's expression was still mostly blank."Haha, you kids look interesting. Let me take you to my place!” The man slipped off the stool and beckoned them to follow.The group followed the older man down the street to a small house that did look a bit run down, but wasn't terrible. It didn't look much like a shanty either. In actuality, it was one of the larger houses in the entire fishing village. The only thing bigger was what looked like an abandoned estate just before the actual village."Well, it isn't much, but it's my home. There are three rooms upstairs, please make good use of them. And you are all probably really hungry, so I'll whip something up for you, too!" The man shooed them upstairs to get settled while he slapped his face to sober up.Upstairs, there were three bedrooms that looked like they had been vacant for a long time. One looked like it belonged to a female, with dried flowers hanging from the walls and an empty vase on the night stand. The other, seemed quite nautical in its decorations, while the third was mostly non-descript and not really decorated at all. “Loke, you should take that one,” Magnar pointed to the room with the flowers. “The three of us can manage in the other two rooms.”Dias had his hand on his chin in thought. He didn’t like how quiet Loke had been since they passed that large estate and she was even more distant here. “You two take the other rooms. I have something I want to do tonight so I’ll be fine on my own.”“But you need to sleep somewhere,” Blu protested.“I agree. We’ve been given this generous offer; you should at least rest for the night. We have a lot to do in the morning and you should get some rest.” Loke mostly wanted to rest now, but she was hungry and hoped she would be able to have a conversation with the man downstairs privately later. If Dias was milling about, she wasn’t sure how private it would be.Dias shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be back in the morning like I was never gone.”Magnar was curious to what Dias wanted to do. He could understand if it was a bigger city with more nightlife and vices, but this was a sleepy fishing village. He couldn’t even imagine what anyone would be up to here, if they were even up. Before they could argue more about it, the man called from downstairs that dinner was ready.The older man prepared a simple fish course with a few sides, but it was prepared well and had a delightful flavor that no one expected. Even Blu seemed quite impressed with how it tasted."Now then, welcome to my home. My name is Taranis. I caught that fish you're all enjoying earlier today. I’m glad to have someone to share it with now."Magnar was amazed at how well he was able to prepare everything, even being still obviously intoxicated. He wondered if it would be better if he were sober. "It's really fantastic, Taranis."Loke's suspicions were further confirmed and she figured she needed to address some things before she or Taranis blurted something out that would reveal the one secret she wanted to keep. "I have to agree with Magnar, it is really good. And I'll take the opportunity to introduce everyone. I'm Loke, from the city. Magnar is from the farmlands in Caax, just to the east. Blu is from Teo, the capital city of Caax. Dias is a doctor from Nich." Though, where in Nich he originated from, she really hadn't known. Dias wasn't usually free flowing with information.Taranis’s eyes widened in surprise. "Well, it seems we have a lot of people from very far away. What brings you to our little town? It's too late in the season for the beaches, but maybe you're here for the fish?""We're actually looking for a way to get to Wiil." Magnar never wanted to offer up more information than was necessary and now felt pressured to hold himself to a higher standard of secrecy. “Loke thought we had the best chance by coming here.”"Wiil is quite isolated and somewhat complicated. Usually, the only way to get there is from Tohil, and even then you have to go far into Caax to get to the main port." Taranis looked thoughtful for a moment."So it is impossible..." Blu frowned and looked dejected."Not so fast, young man. You see, sometimes we get some fishermen that like to take push the limits and fish pretty far away from here. From time to time they end up in Wiil and vice versa." Taranis smiled a little.Blu was starting to look hopeful again.Dias wasn't completely convinced and had been watching Loke most of the time. She was definitely hiding something important, but he stayed engaged in the conversation. "Do you know if there are any of those fishermen in this town? As much as we appreciate your hospitality, we wouldn't want to intrude for very long.""You kids aren't a bother. It's rather nice to have young people in the house again. My kids are grown and on their own and my wife passed a few years ago. But if my boy is in town, then I'm sure he'll be happy to take you there." This dinner alone had brought more excitement into Taranis’s day than he’d had in quite some time. He almost wished they’d stay longer."Really? That would be pretty fantastic." Magnar looked at Loke, expecting her to be excited but saw her sitting rather uncomfortably and mostly trying to keep food in her mouth to not have to engage in the conversation. "Hey," he whispered as he nudged her. "What's going on?"Loke shook her head. "Nothing."Magnar wasn’t convinced, but since they were in someone else's house, he decided it was best to let it go for now. He didn’t want to be rude to his host by arguing with her. Still, he thought she was the one being rude to Taranis."Don't worry about it. I'll see if Ezra is at the port in the morning and can help you guys out. And if it's ok, I would like to talk to your female companion after dinner." Taranis nodded at Loke.Magnar looked over at Loke, who simply nodded that it would be alright. "Seems she is fine with it," suddenly finding himself her spokesperson. He shrugged it off and went back to his meal.Dinner mostly consisted of small talk about the village and its daily activities. There was a lot of fishing and some tourists took small day trips on some of the boats in the area. Beaches were usually more popular when it was warmer, but since the weather was getting cool, there weren't many here for the beaches. Loke mostly listened and even Blu was starting to worry about her.Once dinner was over, Dias excused himself and went into town, as he had declared he would do earlier. Blu and Magnar went upstairs while Loke remained behind to talk to Taranis. Magnar was fairly suspicious and after staring at a blank page that was supposed to be a map, he slipped back into the stairway to try and listen in on their conversation."Loke, why are you here? You haven't been here in, what? Eighteen years. You are the same age as Marisol, aren't you?""I think so. And Ezra was two years ahead of us." Ezra was a name Loke almost wished she hadn't heard again, let alone needed to utter. "Where are they now?""Ah ah, you know better. Answer my question first."Loke frowned. "You were always a strict teacher. Like Magnar said earlier, we want to go to Wiil.""And a queen doesn't just up and go to an isolated desert nation on a whim. Is it diplomatic? Or something else? You aren’t in trouble are you?" He got up and went to the kitchen and brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses. "This is from Marisol. She made the wine herself."Loke didn't really like to drink, but wasn't going to refuse him. "This isn’t a diplomatic excursion, but a religious one. Only Magnar knows that part of me – and barely. I'm the high priestess going to find more Biyeho. I'm learning that there aren't many safe places for them anymore and at some point, possibly sooner than later, Holom itself might be in danger."The jovial tone Taranis had through dinner was gone and now he was quite serious and didn’t seem to have any traces remaining of being drunk. "Well, I can't speak to other nations, but we were lucky to survive the outbreak of civil wars. Your friends are from Caax and Nich, right? Both of them had it rough. I heard the royal family in Tohil converted to keep from falling out of power but are still trying to be fair to both religions. I haven't heard much out of the other countries, though.""Nothing from Wiil, even? The situation in Yopa is looking quite grim. Their towns are mostly full of soldiers training for war. They burned down an entire village while we were there. I brought them back to Holom for relocation. They were all originally from Nich so hopefully Edras doesn’t do something unsavory in Holom in the meantime. They’ve been through enough." Loke stared at the glass of dark red fluid."I see. I still get some information but not nearly as much as I used to. It seems that things are getting a bit complicated out there. I do have to admit, this little village doesn't usually see much outside of aristocracy from the city. And we all know how oblivious some of them can be. They mostly just care about status and wealth.”Loke was fiddling with the bottom of the wine glass, finally resigning to drinking some. "I couldn't agree more. But I'm really sorry to hear about Sterre. What happened?"Taranis shrugged as if it couldn’t be helped. "She caught one of those sicknesses that tend to go around. It was pretty quick, so she didn’t suffer. She would have liked to have seen you all grown up. We did come to the city for your coronation, you know. But we were so far away that you were such a tiny speck on the horizon!""You should have informed me, I would have loved to have seen you then! I fear that I haven't been a very good queen. Everyone must be so disappointed in me." Loke frowned hard and drank a bit more from her glass."Don't you doubt yourself. I know that Edras is following your instructions, and the majority of people still hold you in a good light. I think most of them just wish you were visible from time to time. There are rumors, you know."Loke set the glass down. "No, what rumors?"Taranis counted them off on his fingers. "That you're not really alive. Or there is one that you're pretending to be Edras. That one is my favorite. But there are also rumors that Edras wants to usurp you.""That last one I don't doubt a single bit. So, where are Ezra and Marisol? I believe I answered your questions, my turn." Loke wanted to turn the topic away from her. She was getting somewhat uncomfortable and was feeling judged, even if Taranis wasn’t actually judging her.Taranis nodded. "Ezra runs a tour boat, but I'm pretty sure he would take you guys to Wiil."If Taranis mentioned it was for her, Loke suspected Ezra would do it in a heartbeat. Even as recent as last year she would get a letter from him professing his undying love for her, although he didn't say much else. Usually she just tossed the letters in the fire and went about her day. She had no desire for romance in her life and especially nothing to do with someone so forward as Ezra."As for Marisol, she got married and lives in one of the villages a little to the east of here. Hopefully soon she can bring me some little grandbabies to play with instead of just wine. I'm not getting any younger." Taranis chuckled to himself and refilled his glass.By the time Magnar crept down to eavesdrop, he only heard a lot of laughter and conversations about topics that he didn't quite understand. To him, it sounded a lot like a reunion between old friends, but what was amusing him the most, was Loke's incredibly slurred speech. He could tell she was pretty intoxicated. Not only her speech, but he hadn't heard her speak with such an excitable tone outside of religious things, it was almost scary. He heard Taranis coming closer and he ran back up to his room. A few moments later, there was a knock on his door and Taranis was the one knocking."I hate to bother you, but the lady is incapable of holding her wine. I don't have that kind of strength any more, but could you be kind enough to help her up to her room?"Magnar noticed Taranis actually was looking tired and from what he heard, he didn’t suspect she was drugged. Shaking his head with a sigh, Magnar followed him back downstairs to fetch his employer. Loke's arms were flat on the table beside her drooling face. A half-finished glass of wine sat beside her. She looked even more helpless than usual and for some reason he felt amused by it. "I'll take this as a learning experience. No getting Loke drunk.""I never expected her to react to alcohol so quickly. But she probably just needs a good sleep. She told me all about your trip. Take good care of her. She might be the last hope for a lot of us."Magnar noticed Taranis looking rather down about something but while he knew Loke was important, he wasn’t convinced about her being a last hope. With Taranis’ help, he managed to get her on his back. "She's persistent, if nothing else. But before I take her upstairs, can I ask you something?""Sure. Though, there are some topics I don’t think would be good for me to mention." Taranis wasn’t sure how much her companions knew about her, but he suspected it was minimal."How do you know each other? I could tell she acting different than usual earlier and all I could figure was that she somehow knew you but didn't want to tell us." Magnar hoped this wasn’t one of those topics.Taranis could answer this particular question, though he needed to be somewhat cautious as to how he answered, even though Loke did mention he knew what she was. "I used to work at her parents' manor down the coast a ways as a teacher for her. I mostly helped her learn the basics in regards to reading. She learned a lot faster than my daughter that took the same lessons with her. After Loke’s parents died, all of us were let go to make a different life for ourselves. I think the place is still empty and you may have passed it along the way. If she didn’t have you stay there, then she either doesn’t know it’s still hers or she didn’t want to draw any attention to it. I don’t know much about how she is these days. If she’s like she was as a child, she lives too much in her head and gets fixated things. You need to make sure she experiences life a bit while you travel.""I'll do my best. Thanks Taranis." That explained a lot about how she was acting earlier, but why Loke wanted to keep it silent was what confused Magnar the most. She could have explained it and still kept quiet about being the queen, unless she thought Dias would somehow figure it out. Dias had been quite secretive about himself and was always spinning conversations away from him in a frustratingly smooth way.Magnar groaned as he carried Loke upstairs. Her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and she mumbled incoherent words directly into his ear. He rolled his eyes and pushed his way into the room with the flowers. He tried to set her down on the bed, but her drunken arms reached out for him like a small child would reach out to their parents. She was still being incoherent, which he started to suspect was that ancient language she used during rituals. Not really wanting to hear her whining, he sat on the bed and she snuggled up on his lap, still mumbling. He leaned himself against the headboard, just waiting for her to settle into sleep before he would leave her and go to his own bed.He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he woke up to a loud and painful slap across his face and Loke looking horrified. Trying to wake up his mind, he realized where he was and understood her panic, even if it wasn't really justified to slap him in his sleep."Why are you in my bed? What did you do?" Loke’s face further emphasized her terror."I didn't do anything." Magnar rubbed his face and stood up. "You were drunk and acting like a kid, so I stayed with you until you fell asleep.""And that included while I slept?"Magnar understood her confusion but wasn’t sure she was being entirely reasonable. "I must have fallen asleep before you did. I didn't do anything to you. Relax."Loke's face was bright red in anger as she pointed to the door. Magnar took the obvious hint and left, not really wanting to stay in there any longer either. Blu heard all the commotion and was standing in the hallway. He watched Magnar slam Loke's door, then slam his own all while holding his cheek, which looked pretty red. He didn't think Magnar would open up to him too much, so he went to try and talk to Loke. Carefully, he knocked on her door, half expecting her to be angry at him too."If you're that indecent farm boy, I don't want anything to do with you right now."Indecent? Blu wasn’t sure what she was talking about but he hoped she’d tell him. "Loke, it's me, Blu."Loke's voice sounded calmer once Blu announced himself. "You can come in. As long as that jerk isn't with you."Blu opened the door and cautiously entered the room, closing the door behind him. "What happened?""I woke up this morning and that vile thing was in my bed!" Loke was still flush and was shaking a little. “Sharing rooms is one thing, but never, ever, the bed.”Blu couldn't tell exactly which emotions she was feeling, but he had to calm her down if they were going to be able to travel together. "Did he say why he was there? I don't think he would have done anything to hurt you.""He... he claimed I was drunk and he fell asleep while waiting for me to sleep. But why in the bed? There is a perfectly good chair right over there. He could have just sat there instead." Loke was irate but starting to realize she might be overreacting a bit, though she wasn’t about to admit that to anyone. She was still rather angry about the whole ordeal and wasn’t ready to let it go.Blu didn't have an answer. He had a better idea of what happened, though it was probably some case of misunderstanding and given their typical interactions, he had little doubt that was the. "Um, is there anything you want me to do for you?""Make sure he stays away from me today. And maybe tomorrow." Loke wasn’t really sure there was anything he could do, she just wanted to be angry.How was he supposed to do that? Blu had no idea, but he could at least let Magnar know she was still upset. He nodded and left her room and crossed the hall to Magnar's room.Magnar opened the door as if he was interrupted while changing. He saw it was Blu at the door and put the shirt over his head. "What is it?""I just wanted to let you know that it might be better to leave Loke to herself today. She seems upset." Blu decided he might leave both of them alone today to work out their own issues."Yeah, fine. I don't have a problem with that. It’s not like this town is a threat to her. I figured by now she would know I wouldn't do anything to anyone in their sleep, especially her."Blu stood at the door awkwardly, not quite sure how to handle this particular dramatic episode. "Ok, um, I'm going to go downstairs and see if Dias came back." He closed the door and walked quickly downstairs.Downstairs was quiet. Taranis wasn't anywhere to be seen and it didn't look like Dias was around either. Blu felt a little bad about it, but he took the liberty of using the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast with what he could find. It wasn't too long after that Dias returned to the house with a loaf of bread."I got this for everyone for breakfast today. Blu, why is it so quiet in here?" Dias looked around and noticed that he didn't hear Loke or Magnar and even Blu was even more solemn than usual.Blu didn't look up from the stove. "Magnar slept in Loke's bed for some reason and was there when she woke up. She slapped him really hard, but I don't know what's going to happen between them. They’re both on edge.""I see." Dias didn't want to guess why he was in her room, but he surmised he got drunk and lost his way and ended up with her instead of his own room. He seemed like the type, although he hadn't actually seen either of them indulge, even in the inns and taverns. "Where's Taranis?""I haven't seen him this morning." Blu was barely paying attention to Dias.Dias hoped he could at least capture some of Blu’s attention. "Then, maybe he is speaking to his son. I learned a little about Taranis last night, would you care to hear?"Blu immediately took this opportunity. Dias rarely wanted to discuss anything with him and for him to make the offer, it was a chance he wouldn't let slip by. "Sure, let me just turn this down.""So, Ezra, his son, doesn't live at home any more after his mother died. He's also a pretty popular guy in town. There are a lot of women constantly trying to win his favor, but he only wishes for one particular woman. Do you know who that woman is?"Blu shook his head, but he was wondering where this story would lead. Everything seemed to have extra romantic or anti-romantic implications today, which he found highly irregular. He wondered if there was something in the salty air."Well, there are a few descriptions floating around, but most of them seem to describe our own Loke pretty well. Though, a few of the people have said that he hasn't even seen this girl since he was a kid.""But wouldn't she have told us if she knew someone here?" Blu was well aware that Loke seemed to have some sort of influence in this country and if she knew someone, he couldn’t think of a reason why she wouldn’t have utilized a connection."That's what I thought, so I asked around a bit more. It turns out that Taranis used to teach the princess of Holom with his own children when she was a child. I'm not well versed in the political structure of Holom, but I learned that the queen's coronation was a big deal and that she has made herself rather scarce for a long time before and immediately after the ceremony. It's only a theory, but what if that princess is the girl Ezra is desperately in love with and is actually the missing queen.""...And if that missing queen matches the descriptions, Loke could be the queen?" Blu dryly suggested, not actually believing what he was suggesting."Exactly."Blu chuckled. "I don't think that's true. She seems to know a lot of things, but she's a high priestess. I would think that would get her connections and she’d have to be pretty smart. A princess couldn't have become a priestess, right?"Dias understood Blu’s skepticism since he was suggesting something rather incredulous. "That's what I thought at first too, but it feels like things make sense when I think about it like that.""What makes more sense?" Loke came down the stairs and noticed Blu and Dias talking at the table."Not much. But I heard there was a popular guy in town that keeps turning down propositions because he's obsessed with someone he knew as a girl. It makes sense that he would turn down everyone else if he's waiting for her." Dias smirked at Loke.Loke was already in a bad mood and her grimace just deepened. "Sometimes what you wait for never comes and the alternate options are sometimes the better ones." Loke was already dreading having to travel with Ezra, she didn’t want to talk about him over breakfast too. She wondered if she could put her cloak on and avoid looking at him the entire trip.The front door opened and Taranis came in. "I see some of you are up! Dias, welcome back. We're just missing the farmer fellow, right?" Taranis was just as cheerful sober, but he seemed even more cheerful than before."He can stay missing." Loke sunk into the chair at the table. Blu heard their breakfast sizzling and rushed to tend to it."Oh my, did you two get into an argument? Maybe I shouldn't have had him take you upstairs last night and let you sleep where you are now?" Taranis was relieved that some things about Loke’s personality hadn’t changed. She was quick to sulk but got over it rather quickly."He should have made sure to use his own bed." She crossed her arms on the table and placed the side of her face on top of them.Taranis dismissed her complaint. "Now now Loke, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. You were quite out of it after only a half a glass of wine. Once you started speaking solely in the ancient language, I knew it was time for you to get some rest."Dias laughed. He was completely wrong and wished he was here to have seen Loke being drunk. "Well, I would have never guessed that Loke would ever drink. Though, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that she uses a completely different language in that state. There's no way Magnar would have understood you.""Yeah, no clue. But someone also acts like a child in that state." Magnar came down the stairs and dropped into a chair out of Loke's line of sight and crossed his arms as he leaned back into the chair.Taranis knew this was going to be a rough journey for them if they remained this hostile. "I have good news for all of you. It seems Blu has made a fantastic smelling breakfast for you and I got you a boat to Wiil. All that we ask in return is for you to ask the god of the sea for calm waters and the god of the sky for clear days."A ritual was something that would almost always invigorate Loke. She quickly sat up. "Of course, it's the least I could do!" As fast as she sat up, she was already running up the stairs to begin preparations."She recovers fast. I'm not sure about my face though." Magnar rubbed his face. "She should just slap anyone that attacks us instead of making me fight them off.""If there's anything to get her going, it was always paying homage to the gods. Ever since she was small - Ah, Blu, Dias, I should explain. I'm an old friend of her family's. I haven't seen her in a long time, but I don't think she wanted to go into too many details last night. Please continue to respect her wishes." Taranis caught himself before he revealed too much.Dias smiled and nodded, fueling his theory. Blu was surprised and after hearing what Dias suggested earlier was even more confused at what to believe. He wondered if Loke would tell him if he asked about Dias’s theory.Breakfast was ready and Blu had to call Loke back down to eat. She took her seat and muttered an apology at Magnar, who taunted her until she had to shout it. She realized she jumped to conclusions after she thought about it for a while but now he was just being a jerk when she was trying to actually apologize. Once breakfast was over, Loke performed a small ceremony in the yard to entrust the prosperity of the town to the gods. This particular event was more of a dance than anything Loke had done before and Blu was surprised to see such a thing was possible. For as clumsy as Loke sometimes was, Magnar was surprised at how graceful she could move and Dias still mulled over his suspicions, though Blu’s questioning about whether a princess could have been a priestess was the only thing keeping him from accepting the assumption he had as true. Once the ceremony was over, Taranis then led everyone to the small dock in the south west corner of town."Ezra is finishing up a quick tour then will be here to take you all to Wiil. Loke, your ceremony was magnificent. Holom should be proud to have you as a high priestess." He wanted to add more, but he resisted.There was a large commotion at the port as a boat pulled up to the dock. There were so many screaming women that it was almost painful to hear. Loke's face turned pale as she knew the women were screaming for Ezra.An overconfident man hopped off the boat and walked towards them, the girls all screaming and following behind him. He was fairly well built and handsome, which was generally the reason for the following that gathered behind him."Father, are these the people you told me about." Ezra looked at the group. He was starting to become discouraged when it was a boy, a dirty looking older guy, and a man that might stand to take some of his women followers from him. He already didn't like Magnar because he felt his popularity threatened. But then his eyes drifted to Loke, who was doing her best to not be noticed and especially not recognized. Ezra’s entire demeanor changed when he spotted her. "The gods of fortune, fate, and love have smiled upon me this day! They have brought me my angel! She's even more radiant than I remembered!" He was practically on his knees before her.Loke started to step backwards, thinking this was a terrible idea. Dias watched Loke and felt satisfied that he was on the right track with his theory."Wait! My love! Please do not leave me!" Ezra stood and started towards Loke with long strides and Magnar knew it was time for him to step in. It was part of his job and she did apologize for slapping him earlier.Magnar stepped between Loke and Ezra as Ezra got close to her. Loke had crouched on the ground and pulled her hood further over her head. She was garnering a lot of attention and a lot of it was unpleasant attention. Hateful words also came from the girls that were afraid of losing their precious Ezra. "Look, if you could just keep your distance, I don't think she is too comfortable suddenly being addressed that way. And I don't think the gods of love are smiling at you since she obviously doesn't want to share your affections."Ezra stopped and crossed his arms. He narrowed his eyes and looked over Magnar. "So, you must be her man. She probably doesn't really love you. You should leave her before you get hurt. She belongs with me."Magnar burst into laughter. "I am no such thing. And I'm certain she doesn't love me." He pointed to the red mark that was lingering on his face. "She gave me this gift this morning."Ezra didn't believe him and was about to argue more, but Taranis stepped in. "Ezra, why don't you set your feelings aside for the moment and you can all sit and have a nice, calm discussion on the boat."Ezra quickly backed off and apologized to all the girls that were behind him and ushered them away with promises of his return with epic stories to be told."That boy, sometimes I'm not sure how he ended up like this. Anyway, let's get you all aboard. Loke, I'm really sorry he's like this. Magnar, don't you let him overwhelm her. That goes for you two also." Taranis addressed Dias and Blu.Everyone nodded and Loke unexpectedly stuck close to Magnar. "I'm not doing this because I want to. I have no knowledge on how to handle Ezra at this point. Besides, I pay you to keep me safe."Magnar was surprised at her closeness, but as she spoke the same thing he already thought about, he was relieved they were on the same page. Last night unsettled him a little, but it was also a lesson to never let her drink. "That's the only reason I'm still here.”Ezra came back to find everyone already boarded and spoke a bit with Taranis. He looked a bit dejected when he hugged his father and came towards the boat. Once he was on the boat, his personality shifted greatly and he was back to being loud and boisterous."Pops said to take you all to Wiil. I don't mind so much, and if my sweet angel wanted, I would sail her around the world." Loke slunk even further behind Magnar, which only irritated Ezra more. "Anyway, let's hit the water. It's a long trip on a boat this small. You'll have to make do with the small cabin for shelter from the sun and water." Ezra disappeared into the small enclosed area that held his steering system.Loke backed away from Magnar and went to the railing and leaned over the edge. "He's so exhausting." She wondered if she could find it within her to relax."Why don't you just tell him you're not interested?" Magnar leaned over the edge beside her."I have, so many times before. His sister used to set him straight when we were little, but she’s not here. And now he suspects we are romantically involved. I'm surprised I'm not being sick over this railing.""He's watching us closely, you know. From inside that room." Magnar nodded backwards.Loke scoffed. "He's been obsessed with me for as long as I can remember, I'm not surprised. But it's terribly uncomfortable and I have a bad feeling he'll try something stupid."Blu didn't have a favorable impression of Ezra either and joined Loke and Magnar at the rail. "I'm worried about Loke out here on the seas with him too. Even if she's turned him down before, if she does it again here, he might not take it well and he could leave us stranded. Or worse." It was the worse he didn't want to think about.Loke patted his head. "Thanks. But it should be alright. I think if I can stay far enough away from him and if Magnar is distant enough, without being too far, we shouldn’t have any problems. When we get to Wiil, I'll do my best to really make it clear to him that he has better options back in town.""Would he not be a terrible option?" Dias was the only one that seemed in support of Ezra. You obviously knew each other once and he doesn't seem all that terrible when he isn’t trying to show off. Onslow was a priest with a wife that wasn't even a priestess. I'm sure you can train this guy to help you."The three of them looked at Dias like he had grown a second head."What? Was my suggestion that out of place?" Loke glared at Dias. "I never expected you to offer any sort of relationship advice, Dias. Let alone trying to tell me to give that creature a chance. He might be loyal, but he's quick tempered and not gentle about anything. I didn't like him when I was five, I’m not going to start liking him now."Dias still had plenty of suspicions about her and decided to see if he could learn something extra. "So, it isn't about rank and status, then?""What the hell does that mean, Dias?" Magnar knew he hadn't told anyone Loke's secret, but he was worried about what Dias just hinted at. If he only said status, it would be one thing, but he specifically added the word rank."Nothing. Not a thing. Loke's a high priestess, maybe she has standards that might be unobtainable. I just suggested that she reconsider them." Dias was feigning being on the defensive but Magnar’s reaction wasn’t quite what he expected. He wondered how much Magnar knew about her.Blu watched the argument from Loke's side and wasn't sure what was starting to happen. They were on a small boat and avoiding unpleasant things was out of the question. "I think Loke has more important things on her mind than romance. I mean, that's what it seems to me. Right?" He looked up at Loke.Loke sighed heavily. "Blu is correct. I've never had any romantic inclinations to Ezra or to anyone else. Onslow and Cyrene spent their entire childhoods together. He went on to be a priest, she learned enough to be an assistant. They built their life and village together and serve the gods together. I've pledged my entire life to the gods," and to her people, "so I don't have much room in it to be selfish about something like that for myself."Dias didn't understand her comment about wanting love to be selfish, but he threw his hands up in surrender before walking away.Most of the day, everyone picked a separate area of the boat to reside in. Magnar and Loke were near the front, but on opposite sides. They weren't too far away from each other so Magnar could keep tabs on her and Ezra inside the wheelhouse. Loke was frantically reading passages from her book trying to learn of anything in the region modern day Wiil would be. She wasn't having a large amount of luck, but thought she remembered a passage that seemed to indicate some sort of grand temple, which was what she was frantically looking for. Dias was relaxing, sometimes watching the sky and sometimes watching the waves hitting the side of boat. Blu was overly anxious about how everyone was behaving around each other. He didn't like Ezra much at all and worried he would try to do something bad to Magnar so he could get closer to Loke and Dias seemed rather proud of the weird theories he was dreaming up about Loke. And even if Dias was right, it didn’t matter to Blu since he already liked Loke how she was.Magnar watched Loke reading and making notes for a while before he got up and dropped a spade on the ground in front of her. "I picked this up in the town. Do you think you can engrave it? I figured something smaller might help when I can't use the larger tools."Loke looked up from the book and then down at the spade. She put her book down and picked up the spade and handed it back to him. "I can. But we should wait until we reach the shore. I don't want something to happen to the ship when I finish and it blows back on me."Magnar never actually watched her work, but knew she always came back a bit battered. "Alright. Everything else okay here?""So far. There seems to have been a large temple in this area, but I'm not sure where, exactly. I'm hoping that wherever that is, we might find other Biyeho.""Maybe..." Magnar was interrupted by Ezra's large frame."Hey, uh, sorry about earlier. I haven't seen Loke in a long time and I was a bit overwhelmed by how pretty she got. Can, um, can I talk to her a bit?"Magnar looked at Loke and her eyes darted between the two of them before she replied. "We can talk, but carefully, quietly, and,” Loke paused, “Magnar stays."Ezra looked like he was about to argue heavily, but after a few snorts and heavy breaths, he agreed and sat on the ground across from Loke. Magnar sat at Loke's urgent look for him to join them."So, um, pops kinda explained you guys are looking for other Biyeho. There's not much outside the village that we'll land near that I've ever seen, but everyone there is pretty poor. I think there might be some in the area, though I saw a few shrines in the south part of the village. Generally I think Wiil has their own sort of religious beliefs that aren’t Biyeho or Tumben.""That could be helpful. Do you know anything about an ancient temple?" Loke took any information she could get."Nah, never heard anything about that. But I also wanted to ask you somethin' else. Uh, does this guy know that you're... uh..." Ezra trailed off, not wanting to say something he shouldn’t."Magnar knows, yes. The others don't. I’d like to keep it that way as long as possible.""Though, I suspect Dias might be starting to come up with something. Maybe you should tell them." Magnar didn't forget about his comment earlier.Loke dismissed Magnar. "No. Let him have theories. But what was your question, Ezra.""Well, Edras is kinda runnin' the show, right? How come you're not, you know, there more often? A lot of people think you don't really exist." Ezra scratched at his face."I assure you, I'm quite existent. But there are a lot of reasons. Many political, some a little selfish, I suppose. It gets in the way of some things I want to be focusing on." Loke looked up at the sky briefly before the sun made her squint and look away."Like the religious stuff?" Ezra asked."Like the religious stuff." Loke confirmed."I'm gonna get a quick nap. We should be fine for a little while. It gets really cold as the night goes on, there are some blankets in those bins over there. And the four of you should stick close to use the body heat."Magnar called to Ezra as he stood up. "Hey Ezra, are we good?""Yeah. I was watchin' how you watched her earlier. I think I get it now." Ezra went into his cabin.Loke frowned. "How were you watching me, Magnar?""Probably like this." Magnar made a face that looked like an angry glare.Loke gave him a genuine laugh. "Well, there's no mistaking that. We should get Blu and Dias. It will have less wind up here than back there if we stay low behind this wall.""Sure. I'll get them, you get the blankets.” Magnar left her to find the other two, which was fairly simple on the small boat.By morning they had already landed on the warm desert coast. Dias had woken as they were nearing land and spent some time talking to Ezra, still prying for information, but Ezra was surprisingly tight lipped about Loke's past more than she had already explained. The only new thing he had learned was that she seemed to get along well with Ezra's sister, Marisol, but they hadn't seen each other in a long time as well. Looking back the remaining three still sleeping, Ezra snorted. They looked almost like some sort of family. Blu was asleep on Loke's lap while she leaned on Magnar's arm. If he didn't entirely hate the situation, he might have found it somewhat cute.Gradually the rest of them awoke to the morning sun. Blu woke with the urge to apologize and when Blu moved, Loke stirred and accidentally hit Magnar in the head when she stretched her arms. Magnar instinctively jumped up to a defensive position, thinking he was being attacked. He looked around as he realized there was no enemy while everyone stared at him with confusion and did his best to hide his embarrassment."Isn't she a beautiful morning?" Ezra came out of his cabin since he had heard everyone awake. "I don't have much to eat here and I don't know about all of you, but I'm starving. There's a village about a half hour away. Let's say we go get something there."Loke looked over the rail. Holom was no longer visible and the sand that lay ahead of them seemed to go on for days. If there was some ancient temple or something here, she wasn't sure she was ever going to find it. Next to her, Magnar was also looking out over the desert and his groan replaced her heavy sigh."There aren't any landmarks to speak of. Nothing! How am I supposed to chart something like this?" Magnar was generally complaining to himself.Blu heard Magnar, but noticed Loke looked a bit dejected as well. Maybe he shouldn't have suggested coming to Wiil, but they didn't have a lot of other viable options. He tugged on Loke's vest and motioned for them to catch up to Ezra and Dias. "We can figure it all out as we go, right? We came all this way, I'm sure it'll come into place." Both of them looked at Blu and realized he was probably right. It was still discouraging, but Loke had a goal and Magnar had a job to do."Hey, slowpokes! Grub is this way!" Ezra called back to the three still on the boat.Feeling the pangs of hunger, the trio gathered their items and rushed to catch up to Dias and Ezra.The village was small and, as Ezra mentioned before, rather destitute. They did find a place to eat, but not a lot as discussed amongst each other. There were a lot of girls that seemed interested in Ezra here, as they were back in Holom. Ezra seemed to love the attention and, if anything, Loke wondered if they might be able to use his popularity to get information later.While many village girls were giving their attention to Ezra, the rest of them decided to explore on their own. It wasn't very large, so it was a fairly easy to accomplish task. Dias and Magnar each went their own ways while Blu stuck with Loke. They were usually in charge of shopping when the group divided, and whatever information they could acquire was always an extra bonus. They managed to procure some more clay for Blu's weapon, some rations, and a tip about how most towns are located near an oasis, but the capital city of Nakbe was due south from this village at about a day's hike. No one heard of any ruins or old temples or shrines, but there were stories about people that lived under the desert sands. No one they spoke to knew anything about it and most thought it was mostly a bedtime story parents told their children.Once it seemed that everyone in town had been spoken to, they all met up back at the inn just in time to see a hoard of girls wailing and Ezra waving at them as he was walking away. Seeing the group, he took a slight detour to speak with them once again."I gotta head back to Holom while the winds are in my favor. Be careful here, this country's sun can make people crazy." He started to step forward to try and embrace Loke, in which she moved as fast as she could behind Magnar. Ezra grunted, but backed away. "Loke, you'll always be my love, but I realize that there are things that require your devotion more than I do. I get that. But, if it's ok, can I still write to you?"Loke relented. "I guess that could be alright. Just as long as the content isn't the same as the eight thousand other letters. And have Marisol write to me once in a while too. I miss her."Ezra grinned knowing that even though Loke never responded, she did apparently read his previous letters. "Alright. I can handle that. Magnar, you take care of her, ok? I know she's payin' you and all, but she's good for us. We'll not do well without her."Magnar knew he meant both Biyeho and the country of Holom would suffer if something happened, but he didn't need that staining his hands either so he’d continue to do his job as promised. "Yeah, I guess I can manage that."Ezra hoped he was leaving her in good hands. "Great. You guys too, you help him keep her safe."Blu nodded enthusiastically and Dias simply shrugged."Alright, I'm off to my boat. If you guys ever need a ride somewhere, send word and I'll come pick you up!" They watched Ezra leave to the wails of naive young girls trying to convince him to stay.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Loke dropped Magnar's spade onto the table next to his breakfast as she kept walking back towards the washroom. She looked like she was up all night and was covered in sand. Blu walked in a few moments behind her, also looking exhausted and not even acknowledging Dias or Magnar.Magnar tried to shield his food from the sand that bounced off the spade. "What's up with them? I know we asked Blu to stick with her if she left the building, but was she seriously gone all night?""It seems so. I've noticed that Blu has been spending a bit more time with her lately." Dias was mostly focused on eating, not caring too much about whatever was bothering Magnar about Loke for once."Feeling lonely since he's not bugging you to teach him things anymore?" Magnar was well aware that Blu was often with either one of them, but neither rarely seemed bothered by it."To the contrary, it's been a bit of a relief. He's a bright boy and quite persistent. I could probably teach him a lot of things, but I think he needs a little more life experience before I show him anything beyond basic first aid." Dias didn’t really mind teaching Blu, but every day he had to give lessons and he needed a break."Is that so? Instead, Loke's teaching him anything he asks to know. I wonder if that isn't more dangerous." Magnar wasn’t sure what kind of strange things she might put into his head, though he was comfortable knowing it probably wasn’t anything actually dangerous.Dias shrugged. "She asked me last night if it was alright if she borrowed him. As if he was my apprentice or something. She mentioned that she could use his creativity.""Has he done anything particularly creative before? I mean, outside of his culinary skills." Magnar set down his spoon and took a look at the engravings. They were a similar, but something wasn’t quite the same."Here and there he'll come up with a different way of doing something that was completely new, but nothing extraordinary. Maybe she noticed something we didn't. Though, unless it's religion related, I doubt she would notice much." Dias was still waiting for her to reveal a bit more about herself."That's for sure. She's extra focused on unusual things. I guess it isn't all that surprising that she's a high priestess. Though I always thought they were old. I think she’s even younger than I am." Magnar hadn’t actually asked her how old she was but the moments when she let down any sort of professionalism her age seemed to show – not that he was actually old. He was barely twenty six."Perhaps. She is quite knowledgeable about the Biyeho. If I heard rumors correctly, she might be the youngest to reach that level." Dias noticed Magnar was hyper focused on Loke this morning. He wondered if it was some sort of jealousy towards Blu, which amused him more, as he Magnar sent Blu with her himself.It was a considerable amount of time before either one came back to the table. Loke looked physically refreshed, but her eyes spoke of great exhaustion. Blu joined them a few moments later, and barely could keep his head off the table."I was going to suggest we visit the capital since it is about a day away from here, but neither of you look like you can make that trip. And I'm not carrying either of you." Magnar pushed a bowl towards Loke. "Here, eat something."Loke looked at it and made a face and an even worse face after she ate a spoonful. The flavor wasn't all that bad, but it had an unusual gummy texture she wasn’t terribly fond of. Magnar pushed a bowl towards Blu as well, and Blu recognized the dish and suddenly had a spurt of energy to begin eating."So, I see the mark here is a little different than the other ones. Does it do something different?" Magnar pointed at the design."It should. When we're outside of town, I'll give you full instructions. It works like the other ones, but should have an added ability of its own." Loke continued to poke at her food. She wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic as Blu was about it, but she was hungry and she didn’t think there was going to be any other food options."Can we leave later and just travel at night? It's a lot less hot out there at night." Blu was already finished his bowl and noticed Loke wasn’t eating much. He rummaged through their provisions and sprinkled a little bit of sugar on it, hoping she’d like it better. After that, he put his head back on the table and looked like he was going to sleep for days."That might not be a bad idea. Loke looks like she could use some rest and I have no objections. The decision is with you, Magnar." Dias took his bowl, as well as Blu’s and stacked it on the side of the table."I guess that's alright. We should find out what might be waiting for us out there, though. I don't want any surprise bear attacks or something.""No bears. Bugs. Lots of bugs." Loke was still trying to get her breakfast down. It was better with the sugar, but it still wasn’t a texture she was enjoying. She also didn’t like how Dias said it was up to Magnar when to leave, but she didn’t feel like arguing the point. Loke was far too tired. "I hate bugs."The group waited most of the day before heading out to find Nakbe because of Loke and Blu's fatigue. Magnar was gradually getting used to what little landmarks there were to work on his map, but it was still frustrating without much of anything to reference distance to. He did, however, appreciate what Loke did to the spade. It was a little more complicated to use outside of just swinging it around. If he thanked the spirits for letting him use their energy, he could cause a directed earthquake when he shoved the spade into the ground. It was small in scope, but enough to upend a potential enemy nearby.For now, Dias decided to stop probing into Loke's past. It was likely just a matter of time until her secrets would be revealed and he could wait for them. Blu was spending more time with Loke, asking her about different gods, common rituals, ceremonies, and how to properly give offerings of objects and words when objects aren’t available. Depending on the god, they may even prefer words to physical offerings, which he learned was what she tended to do as they went through Caax.Blu’s suggestion about traveling at night was a relatively good idea, but it was surprisingly cold compared to the extreme heat during the day. It was most of their topic of conversation while the group traveled and fought off giant scorpions. They arrived in Nakbe around dawn and were able to witness the city waking up. There were merchants setting up their shop for the day on the main street and several of them paused to watch the group suspiciously as they walked through. It was evident they weren’t used to strangers, and given their differences in clothing, it was obvious they weren’t locals. While looking for the inn, one of the merchant stalls had a familiar face setting up some dining wares.“Winter, is that you?” Blu was confused why Winter would be here, but a familiar face was always a good thing.“Hey everyone! I never dreamed I would see you all here!” Winter was way too chipper for such an early hour everyone else concluded.“What are you doing in Wiil?” Blu never really knew what Winter was up to, but Wiil wasn’t a place he’d expect to have seen her.“Well, you see, after I let you guys through to Holom, I figured that wasn’t a good job for me anymore and since Teo is so tense, I hitched a few rides on some boats and voila! I ended up here! Though, I have some advice for you guys. Watch out for pick pockets. Looting is big time here and you lot make a nice easy target. Also, they’re not used to foreigners, so also watch your back. The man I work for here is nice, but not everyone else is. He also runs a pub at night. But while most people won’t give you problems, they’ll stare at you a lot. And I don’t know how much they would be willing to tell any of you either.” Winter explained her adventure with over exaggerated hand gestures. Loke wondered if she was ever calm.“That’s a shame. I was hoping to learn something important from coming to Wiil. Maybe you heard something, Winter. We’re looking for a temple, shrine, or some ruins or something that might have some Biyeho living nearby.” Loke was hopeful, and if the townsfolk couldn’t help them, maybe an acquaintance could.Winter paused to think. “I haven’t heard anything, but I’ll keep my ears open! Come see me later after you get settled. I’ll be here all day.”Winter was completely right about the staring. They heard a few shouts to go home and leave this place, but occasionally, there would be a call to check out their wares. There were children starting to filter into the streets and a fair number of people that looked like they were homeless. It took a while, but they eventually found an inn. The innkeeper was kind in words, but their expression told a different story. They paid for one room for the night and would all stay in that one room. This city didn’t feel terribly safe and was surprisingly labyrinthine. Instead of pairing off, today they would get a little rest then head out to investigate as a group.They heeded Winter’s words and made sure not to put anything of value that could be easily swiped from their person, as well as not leaving much in the room that couldn’t be replaced. They hadn’t explored any town as a full group before, so dealing with Magnar pausing to take down some map notes or Loke and Blu shopping for essentials or Dias seeming disinterested in most of whatever was going on was an adjustment for everyone. Luckily, by the end of the day, most had benefited from the experience. Each time they got turned around and seemingly lost, Magnar was there to help with his rough map. Shopping was tedious, but they got some useful items and some new foods to try that didn’t seem perishable. Dias’ disinterest kept everyone moving along even if he didn’t mind taking it easy and letting everyone else look around. While most of the people they spoke to weren’t outwardly displeased with them, they also weren’t very forthcoming with information. Eventually, they did once again stumble upon the stand where Winter was selling goods.“Everyone’s here! Great! I got some info for you guys! So, I talked to my boss and while he doesn’t know much, he said there’s a shaman in town that might be able to help you. Wiil wasn’t one of those countries involved in the wars like the others, right? Well, it looks like they have their own thing going on here, mostly. So, no Tumben and Biyeho war here! But I guess since they don’t take too well to outsiders, it makes some sense that neither hold much power.”“Do you think the shaman would see us?” Loke was a little worried. There didn’t seem to be a lot of people that even liked them spending money in their stalls. She worried a shaman wouldn’t know much about the plight of her religious brethren, let alone much to actually guide her, but she didn’t really have any other leads.“Maybe! I mean, my boss seemed to think that was your best option, so it’s worth a shot, right?” Winter’s smile never faltered even when she grabbed a fly from midair that had been noisily buzzing around her head.Magnar shrugged. “She’s right. The worst he could do is turn us away and tell us nothing new. Winter, do you know where to find him?”“Hm, yeah, I think so? I mean, this town is crazy curvy with roads and stuff, but he said he was on the third street north of the tower on the west side of the city in a red clay building with straw roofing. He said you couldn’t miss it.”They hadn’t been to that part of the city, but Dias could see the gleam of excitement in Magnar’s eyes. Magnar had been itching to map this place, especially since it was a lot more complex than the usual places that he had mapped before. When they went back to the inn to drop off their purchases, Dias and Blu opted to stay behind so Magnar could lose himself in map making while taking Loke to see the shaman. Blu figured he would be in the way and Dias would find out about it after they returned anyway.They hadn’t gotten too far west when Loke felt someone trying to slide her bracelet off her arm. Magnar was quick to trip him and noticed a pouch was removed from his belt in the process. Loke’s bracelet was valuable to the entire group as a mechanism for slowing down an opponent, but as far as actual monetary value, it probably wasn’t really worth all that much. The pouch that was lifted from Magnar was worth almost nothing in the desert, but was most precious to him. The thief looked a little younger than they were though older than Blu and when faced with a garden spade inches from his nose, he was quick to hand the pouch over.“Here, take it back. It doesn’t even feel like money anyway.”“Because it isn’t.” Magnar was doing all he could to restrain himself.Loke took the pouch from the young man since Magnar was still holding the spade close to his nose. She hadn’t known what was in their either, but she knew the feel of money well and this most certainly wasn’t it.“You got to keep your stuff. You gonna let me go now?” The young man just wanted to run away. He mostly was out to find something to get him a meal but actual encounters weren’t something that was worth his time.“Are you going to stop stealing from innocent people?” Magnar was serious as Loke looked on beside him. It was the first time she noticed what could be some sort of temper. He always seemed much more composed, even when he was arguing with her.“Yeah, sure.” The young man was about to say anything to get away from them.Magnar didn’t believe him for a minute, but lowered his spade. “Don’t let me catch you again, or you’ll understand what it feels like to be harvested.”The young man looked at him with a look of confusion before taking off.“Magnar, that line was rather lame. But what’s in the bag?” She handed it back to him.“Seeds. Where ever we’ve been, I’ve picked up or bought some seeds. When I get home, I’m hoping that my soil will accept them and I can grow some different things. Especially if my usual grains aren’t going to work.”Loke was surprised. She hadn’t noticed him acquiring them at all, but thought it would bode well for his future if he was able to return to a peaceful life in Caax. “May the god of agriculture smile upon your future harvest.”“Yeah, if only he did that for all of us this year.” Magnar was clearly sulking. He attached the pouch back onto his belt.“Even gods have their reasons when things don’t work in our favor.” Loke tried to cheer him up but she didn’t expect it to work. She wondered what the gods were even able to do in light of the extermination of their believers.Magnar resented the gods when they seemingly would abandon the people. It was frustrating and he didn’t know why the gods would turn on him when he hadn’t turned on them like the others did. “I guess. Doesn’t mean I have to like it. Now, we should be close to this shaman guy. This is the third street, but I don’t see anything that fits the description.” He wanted to focus his mind on something else.Something about the pickpocket poked at Loke’s mind. “Do you think that kid will ever stop stealing?”“Huh? We’re looking for the shaman for you and you’re asking about that kid?” Magnar was starting to take out his frustrations about everything and nothing on Loke. In the back of his mind he knew he shouldn’t, but it was already too late.“I know, but I got the sense he didn’t really want to be stealing.” Her voice was a lot softer than before.“He’s probably poor, like everyone else. Not everyone is as fortunate as you, you know.” Magnar regretted the last line as soon as he said it.Loke frowned but didn’t say anything and let the words hang in the air between them. She started looking down the streets for the red house and straw covered roof to distract her from the unnecessary argument that she was trying to avoid.Magnar feebly attempted to fix the bad air between them. “But, you know, seeing people in places like this might make you a better queen for your people.”“Hm.” Loke didn’t necessarily agree, nor did she disagree. He had been right about her privilege and it was something that weighed on her mind more often than before. She was failing Holom as a queen. She had known that for quite some time but it was a lot more prevalent in her thinking lately. She wasn’t too worried about Edras before, but as she watched things unfold first hand in Caax, she was starting to worry about the safety of everyone – Tumben and Biyeho alike.“Hey, you think that place is it?” Magnar pointed to a short, slender building that the doorway wasn’t much taller than they were and wasn’t much wider than an outhouse.Magnar’s declaration pulled her out of her own mental distraction. “She did say we couldn’t miss it. It seems to match the description.”They approached the tiny home and as they went to knock on the door, the door swung open without anyone to have opened it. Feeling a little hesitant at the strange event, Magnar led the way inside with Loke close behind him. A few steps in and the door slammed shut behind them. In front of them was a staircase that led underground. It was dimly lit with torches hanging on wall sconces that barely illuminated the steps below their feet. The steps were made of a heavy stone and it didn’t seem to reach the bottom for quite a long way. Once they reached the bottom they found themselves in an empty, expansive room with barely any light and two doors. One door was directly in front of them while the other was to the right. The floor had quite elaborate textiles and it was almost a shame to walk on them. The door to the right opened and an elderly man staggered into the large room.“Welcome, believers of the gods. My name is Mirah. I’ve been waiting for you. Please, come inside.” Mirah grinned.Even more confused and nervous, they followed the man into the room. The room was small, but there were cushions on the floor for the three of them and a few small bowls with incense burning throughout the room.Mirah gestured to the cushions. “Please, have a seat.”Magnar was concerned about this entire situation. The door upstairs was weird enough, but how did he know they were Biyeho and that they were coming to see him? “How did you know who we were?”Mirah chuckled. “I know a lot of things. Some of it is observation, some of it is divination, and some of it is just a guess. I heard from a nice lady in the market you were looking for information about a certain thing. That suggested that you were Biyeho. From regular observation, I can tell that you’re a hard worker, physically, and this young lady here works rather hard mentally. Although, divination tells me there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye.”“When you say divination, you are referring to fortune telling?” Biyeho had several types of fortune telling, none of which Loke excelled at performing. She was well aware of the symbolism and the practices in theory, but in practice, she wasn’t able to produce accurate fortunes for anyone. Luckily for her, it wasn’t a requirement of being a priestess and there were plenty of other practitioners around Holom if it was necessary.“In most ways, yes. There is a little more to it, but I don’t think you came to discuss our differing methods. Now, tell me, what are your names? Starting with you, my physically strong one.” Mirah’s grin didn’t seem to fade.Magnar pointed at himself. “Me? Magnar Lunde.”Micah nodded. “Fine name. It suits you well. Your parents must have had great hopes for your future.” He then looked at Loke. “Young miss, may I have your name?”“Loke Aumoe.”“Aumoe... I believe I knew your parents. They were quite the dignified family. I was saddened to hear of their passing, but I have no doubt they had the utmost faith in you.”Loke wasn’t sure how to respond to him. Her parents rarely let anyone know their true names, as they were monarchs and the family name wasn’t known to the general public. The rare people that would have known that type of information were very close to family like Taranis. She had to make sure it was really her parents or if he was trying to elicit information. “I’m not sure they would have had that much faith in me, I was quite young when they passed.”“Yes, but I’m certain they entrusted you to the religion in order to benefit the nation.”Loke frowned. “I don’t intend on being offensive, but how is it that you were familiar with my parents?” Mirah was making Loke extremely nervous. She also wasn’t familiar with the type of incense burning and it was starting to bother her eyes.Micah’s expression never wavered and he looked like he was being straightforward. “No offense taken. Long before you were born, they had come to me quite often for my fortunes. Fortune telling is a large part of your belief system, is it not?”“It is. But I’m not quite sure that satisfies my curiosity.” Loke wondered why her parents would come to someone in Wiil when there were plenty of quality fortune tellers in Holom City alone.“If you’re fearful of being discovered, I am not someone you need to be concerned about. They entrusted me with valuable information in the event that one day it may become useful to protect the country they loved so much. It may have been meeting you that everything was in preparation for.” Micah’s eyes focused on Loke before being distracted by Magnar cutting into the conversation.“So, I’m not sure I’m keeping up. You knew the previous king and queen before she was born and because you know their last name that makes it like, a special key word or something?” Magnar wondered if he was even supposed to be sitting in on this conversation.“In a way, I suppose that is one way of looking at it. But as I said before, they entrusted me with valuable information. I suspect that is the information which you are seeking today.” Micah was starting to sound a little irritated at being questioned.The incense was starting to actually affect Loke besides just irritating her eyes. During Magnar’s brief exchange, she was starting to notice that she was getting a little light headed and feeling somewhat dizzy. She felt like everyone was getting further and further away, but she was doing her best to hide it from them. “What did they tell you? I read everything they left behind and didn’t find much that is useful outside of Holom.”“Hey, Loke, you alright? You’re looking a little pale.” Magnar noticed her increasing paleness even in the dim light but mostly that she seemed unstable.“It might be the incense. To some people, it has an intoxicating effect, but it won’t really harm her.” Micah admitted.Magnar already knew what she was like when she was drunk, but this wasn’t quite the same, although she was starting to mumble in a language he didn’t understand. He helped her lie down into a comfortable and safe position so that she wouldn’t fall over and possibly hurt herself. “I’m sure you would rather relay all the information to her directly, but seeing as she’s not even in the same language anymore, would you be able to tell me?” He didn’t want to waste this opportunity and he didn’t really want to have to come back here again.“If she trusted you enough to bring you along and about her family background, then I may hope to be able to trust you with the information as well. This is information that should not be written down, or is it information that you can afford to get incorrect. When she comes to, be sure to relay it exactly as I tell you. The future of all of you Biyeho relies on it. But there is one piece of information that I do want to give you that you must not tell her. It is something for her to learn on her own.”Magnar and Mirah spoke at great length while Loke slept a rather fitful sleep. Once Mirah was satisfied Magnar had all of the information correct by forcing him to repeat it a number of times, he guided Magnar, with Loke on his back, to the stairs and bid them blessings of their gods and his gods and all gods in between. It took Magnar far longer to get up the stairs carrying Loke than it would have otherwise since he didn’t want to drop her or fall himself. Even back in the waning daylight of the city, she still was out cold, but still mumbling foreign words. He walked back to the inn amongst averted glances and deep stares. He heard some whispers, but he ignored them as much as he could. Back at the inn, he got her onto the bed and dropped to the floor beside it, exhausted.“Magnar, what happened to Loke? Are you alright as well?” Dias was already trying to think of what he might need to prepare to help both of them.“I’m good, just tired from carrying her all the way here. She’s basically feeling some effects from some weird incense. She’ll be fine, or so I was told.” Magnar hoped.Dias leaned in to smell the incense off of Loke and heard her mumbles. He recognized the scent but not many of the words. “Has she been speaking like this for a while?”“Pretty much since she fell asleep. It’s that language used for her rituals, I think. That’s what it sounds like to me.”“I would be inclined to agree, but it also feels different. Perhaps a lot more ancient than that.” Dias didn’t actually know much of the ancient language, but this did sound a lot different while still sounding similar all the same.“I’ve seen some of the books in her home, I wouldn’t doubt it if it were some old, dead language. But you don’t see anything wrong, right?” Magnar didn’t care about what she was saying, but more about how long she already had been unconscious.“Yes. The incense is a mostly harmless type. Though, since she seems to be sensitive to it, it may have been best that you returned when you did. Prolonged exposure of things like that often have unfavorable effects like prolonged paranoia or hallucinations.” Dias stood with his arms crossed.Blu had come back in with a few glasses of water for them and only heard Dias’ last line. “Loke’s not going to die, is she?”Dias turned to see Blu looking somewhat upset. “No, of course not. I was explaining to Magnar that his timing was good and she should be fine.”Blu let out a heavy sigh and handed a glass to Magnar and set the other on the table for when Loke woke up. “Did the shaman tell you anything?”“Yeah, but I need to relay it to her first. He was very adamant about that and I’m a little afraid that if I don’t, bad things will befall me.” Magnar unconsciously rubbed his head where the shaman kept hitting him if he made a mistake.“Was he really that intimidating?” Blu was a little frightened but his curiosity was stronger.“No, not at all. But shamans are a little different than our regular fortune tellers, so while I don’t necessarily believe in whatever things they do, I don’t want to be on the wrong side of it just in case.” Magnar polished off his glass of water and set it on the table beside Loke’s full glass.Blu nodded. He didn’t quite understand since he wasn’t really familiar with shamans and other aspects of the culture in Wiil, but he had a fair idea that if Magnar didn’t want to mess with it, it probably wasn’t worth it to meddle.Loke woke in the middle of the night, feeling disoriented and nauseas. She noticed the water and although she drank it in hopes that it would help, she felt even worse. Dias and Blu had been up in shifts most of the night making sure she was alright and Dias was there to catch her as she nearly fell off the bed.“Dias, where am I? Wasn’t I with the shaman?” She was profoundly confused.“You’re in the inn. Magnar brought you home.” Dias was helping her sit up.“Oh. I don’t feel well. Did something happen to me?”“I suppose I could call it a hangover, although you weren’t drinking, as far as I’m aware.” Dias could see she was still pale and tried to get her to drink more water.Loke was starting to get upset with herself. “Everything is blurry. I can’t remember what happened, but I know that I dreamed many dreams.”Dias sat beside her with a large bucket as she tried to sort out her thoughts and surroundings, but nothing was coming to her mind clearly except for her dreams.Blu woke to Loke’s illness and Dias instructed him to bring more water for her. Magnar also was awakened by the movement in the room and worried that he didn’t get her out of that smoky room soon enough but he also wondered if this had anything to do with what the shaman had told him to keep from her.“Dias, is there anything you want me to do to help?” Magnar was feeling helpless, but still wanted to do what he could to help her. It was his job to keep her safe and he was feeling like a failure.“I think her fate is in the hands of the god of health right now. We just need to keep her comfortable and hydrated. Are you feeling any out of sorts?” Dias wanted to make sure Magnar wasn’t feeling any delayed effects.Magnar shook his head. “Not at all. Could that smoke really have done this? There were a few bowls of incense lit, but it didn’t seem excessive.”“Certain people seem to be affected by it, but no one really understands why. There isn’t anything to counter it that I’m aware of. It mostly needs to play out like the day after a bit of fun in the pub.”Loke struggled to keep water down, but managed to drink more and curled up under the blanket. Blu sat beside her while Dias cleaned up and Magnar kept rewinding the day in his head across the room.Eventually, Loke fell asleep once again and Dias lit a red candle beside her. The flame was unusually still and didn’t let off any smoke. He explained that it was a candle that was to be burned in offering to the god of health in hopes of a speedy recovery. If the candle begins to flicker and burn as a normal candle, then the god has given his blessings and the patient should recover faster by the time the candle would completely burn through. Blu offered to keep an eye on her while the others got some rest of their own. He was curious to know what happened earlier in the day, but what triggered his fascination was when the candle began to flicker. It flickered violently as Loke shivered in a similar manner. As abruptly as it started, it ended. Blu wasn’t sure if he should bother waking everyone else, but seeing as she was sleeping much like she usually did and the candle was completely out, he thought everything was now going to be fine.Morning was too early for just about everyone. Magnar woke before everyone else and charted his map of the city that he had learned from the previous day to make sure nothing got left out. Loke woke sometime after he did and noticed Blu in a chair beside her bed. He was hunched over, asleep with crossed arms beside her. She carefully slipped out of the bed on the other side, trying desperately not to wake him.“You look like you’re doing better. You had everyone all freaked out, you know.” Magnar spoke in a whisper.“I’m sorry. I really don’t remember anything since we met with Mirah. What was I doing?”“You don’t even remember last night? You were pretty sick.” Magnar was somewhat surprised she didn’t remember the night before.Loke shook her head. “No, not really. I feel fine right now though. Rather hungry, actually.”“We’ll all get some food in a bit. But I think I should talk to you before they wake up. Mirah entrusted me with the information for you. I’m not sure it makes a lot of sense, but I wasn’t allowed to write it down, either.”“Should I be worried?” Loke couldn’t even imagine what it could be about.“Let’s talk in the hall.” Magnar helped her tip toe around Blu and Dias and led her to the end of the hall and into the washroomLoke wasn’t afraid of Magnar, but if anyone saw them enter or leave the washroom together, she was sure it would create attention she didn’t want. “So, what did he want me to know?”Magnar took a deep breath. “I don’t quite understand what he referred to and I’m only supposed to tell you this once, but here goes. Heat does not always mean there is a fire, sometimes the darkness can burn hotter than fiery sand. Light balances the darkness, but is often brightest where there is no light to be found. Fire in the deep water will prove to be as rare as water surrounded by fire. A gentle wind will blow where the earth is fertile, but earth in the wasteland is precious. Lightning strikes the brightest where the landscape is most inspiring. Places where time stands still are bound by three blessings of past, present, and future. I don’t know what to make of any of that, but I guess he thought you would know.”Loke mumbled some parts of the passage as she thought. “I’ve heard this before, but I’m not sure where. I wonder if the fiery sand refers to Wiil. If that’s the case, then we should figure out why the darkness is so significant.”“Actually, I might know that. Remember that second door at the bottom of the stairs?”Loke tilted her head, curious. “What about it? Did he take you there?”Magnar shook his head but knew once he told her, it would be where she’d want to go next. “No, but he did tell me what was there. Apparently, it’s a roadway to a grand underground city. The city itself is quite far and the road is mostly untraveled. He suggested that we don’t use that route because the air is a bit limiting, but if we were to choose that path, we should invest in some specialty goods from the market. There are apparently candles that will work down there better than normal torches and we should also not exert ourselves more than normal. It sounded like a rough trip.”There was a sudden rash of noise outside the inn, which not only woke Blu and Dias, but Loke and Magnar also heard it and rushed back to the room and look out the window.“Oh no. This guy again...” Dias spoke under his breath.“Do you know him, Dias?” Loke didn’t recognize him at allDias looked at her with some surprise. “You don’t remember when he came to Magnar’s house? You must have been sleeping during the ordeal. I managed to chase him away for a while, but it seems he’s somehow followed us.”“Dias, who is he? I might have been mostly sleeping, but if he’s following us, I would like to know who he is and for what reason.” Loke didn’t really remember that event at all, but it didn’t quite answer all her questions.“Loke, he’s trying to kill you and Magnar. He came to the house with the descriptions of both of you.” Dias spoke straightforwardly, yet still didn’t answer her question.“We weren’t exactly hiding in the city yesterday. Still, how did he know to even come here?” Loke was starting to feel a little suspicious of someone, yet she wasn’t sure who she should be suspicious of.“Hello all my lovely new friends of Nakbe! I heard there’s a lady with beautiful light green hair in this area! She’s accompanied by an even lovelier young man with dark blue hair! He’s so strong! Can anyone introduce us?” Betti was loud, and he knew he wanted to make sure everyone heard him. He was still dragging a heavy bag, which left a trail in the sand behind him.Most of the people stayed away from him but kept moving on their busy mornings. Women ushered their children away and Betti’s light tone as he called out for Loke and Magnar was starting to drop the more agitated he became.“We need to leave. If he finds either of you, I’m almost certain you won’t live very long. I explained before that he’s a terrifying assassin. For some reason, you two have angered someone enough that they’ve hired him to have you eliminated.” Dias started to pack his things.Loke looked at Magnar and nodded her head to the west.“Are you kidding? We don’t have supplies yet to do that.” Magnar didn’t have to ask what she was hinting at, he already knew.“What choice do we have? I would rather not die from this guy, especially now. I’m sure we’ll find a way to survive, but Dias said we’re not going to make it if we try to fight him, so we should just try it.” Loke stood firm clutching her book, ready to run once everyone else was.“Not that we have a lot of time for discussion, but what are you two talking about?” Dias covered one of his ears as Betti’s yelling was getting louder and even more annoying.“There’s an underground road to an underground city. It’s a long and dangerous road, but we don’t have the right supplies to travel along it. But someone thinks it is a good idea.” Magnar thought it was a terrible idea to head in unprepared and hoped the others would agree with him.“It is a good idea. Even if we don’t have whatever supplies were suggested, we need a way out, and quickly. If our options are that, confront him, or hope we can slip out into the desert, then I might want to place my chances on the first choice. We’re not really a group that’s able to handle a seasoned assassin.” Dias was packed and ready to go.Magnar rolled his eyes and finished packing his map supplies. It seemed that he wasn’t going to win this argument. “Blu, do you have a thought?”“I don’t really know what is best, but even if we just hide in there a bit until he goes away, maybe we can come back and get what we need?”Magnar liked Blu’s idea, but wasn’t sure how they were even going to elude this Betti to get to the entrance let alone being able to come back. “Alright, that’s a fair compromise. We should also try to throw him off a little with a disguise or something.”“I can tie my hair up so that it doesn’t look as long. And maybe if we travel in pairs, but within eyesight of each other, maybe we can elude him for a little bit. I’ll travel with Dias since both of your hair has some shade of blue. Hopefully, it will minimize his attention on us. Magnar has the map, so as long as he stays a few paces ahead, we should be able to follow him easily enough.” Loke was about to finish explaining her idea as there was a soft knock on the door before it clicked open.Winter stuck a hand in to wave before she slipped inside. “Hey, is that big guy out there looking for you? He’s kinda scary, but surprisingly fashionable, even for Nakbe standards.”“Yes, I do believe he’s after us.” Loke was already starting to pin her hair up as best as she could. Winter grabbed her hand and took over.“Winter, would you be able to get us some supplies? We need to vacate quickly, but our intended route has some risks. Magnar, if you can explain to her what we need, Blu, help pack everything else. We might need to leave some items behind.” Dias didn’t even wait for an answer from Winter before stealing Blu away to pack the rest of their things.Blu went to help Dias while Magnar explained to Winter what they needed and where to bring it. By the time he finished explaining their needs, she had braided Loke’s hair and wrapped it as a crown around the back of her head. Loke hadn’t really done much of anything fancy with her hair before and was quite impressed with Winter’s talent.“I got the list, I’ll do my best! Good luck and hopefully we will both arrive safely!” Winter tapped at her temple and slipped out as easily as she slipped in.“So, new plan, we do most of the things as previously discussed and hope Winter helps with supplies. We need to find a way out of here though. He’s right in front of the entrance.” Loke could see Betti already outside the building and his voice was loud enough to resonate through the walls.Blu tentatively raised his hand. “I saw a back door through the kitchen when I was getting water last night. It looked like it went down an alley.”“Good catch, Blu. Dias, I’d rather have you and Loke up front since Betti will be behind us. If you start to go the wrong way, I can use some sort of sound cue to get you on the right track.” Magnar was familiar with a few different whistles that he could at least use to get their attention. He handed Dias the map he sketched of the route to the small building.“I understand your sentiment, but are you sure about that?” Dias didn’t mind, but was a little curious as to why he wouldn’t want to lead the way.Magnar nodded. “Yeah. I think it’s for the better. If something happens, get Loke out of here.”Dias nodded and Blu led everyone down to the kitchen and to the door that led into the alleyway. Dias and Loke cautiously entered the alley and Loke raised her hood. It was blazing hot but she needed to cover her head most of all. Dias waited until Betti was looking away from them before stepping out into the street with Loke. They moved quickly, but not too fast to draw the attention of Betti and to keep within eyesight of Magnar and Blu. Dias’ goal was to ease into a crowd of people to be even less noticed, but there weren’t a lot of people milling about as there had been before. Most of the citizens had their attention set on Betti. It wasn’t often that anyone made a commotion like this, nor had they seen anyone in this style of clothing before. The strange stares that Loke and Magnar were receiving previously were now being thrown Betti’s way and he wasn’t all that excited about it. Magnar and Blu waited until the others were mostly out of view before they stepped out of the alley and started to follow them down the street. Some people started throwing rocks at Betti and he turned to yell at the people when he caught a glimpse of Magnar walking with Blu.“Hey! Yoo-hoo! Strong man with the blue hair! Wait up! I want to ask you something!” Betti started running down the street towards them, ignoring any of the rocks that happened to hit him.Loke and Dias heard the commotion, but Dias insisted they keep moving, but decided they could watch once they reached a corner to hide behind.Magnar inhaled sharply to try and ignore the fear that bubbled through him every time he heard Betti’s voice. “Blu, just follow my lead, ok? If things get ugly, run and catch up to Dias and Loke and keep her safe. Help her finish her goals.”“Don’t make it sound like that. She’s trusting you to catch up. You, no we have to catch up to her.” Blu didn’t want to think about something happening to any of them, but he also wasn’t sure how this guy was a master at assassination. He was loud and dramatic, weren’t assassins supposed to be silent?“You’re right. Let’s get through this and join up with the others quickly.” Magnar was still very tense as Betti approached them, but agreed with Blu to appease him and hope they could deceive him again.“You look just like the handsome young man I’m trying to find, but this isn’t the girl that is supposed to be with you.”“I’m a boy.” Blu muttered, annoyed.Betti feigned surprise. “Oh, so you are. But if this handsome fellow is the man I’ve been looking for, where is your little girlfriend? Or have you parted ways?”Magnar held his hands up in an exaggerated shrug. “I’m afraid I’m not sure what you are talking about. I have only been traveling with my younger brother.”“Brother, you say? Hmmm…” Betti bent over and gave Blu a once over, who shifted uncomfortably.Magnar brought his hands down and wrapped his hand firmly around the handle of his spade instead of any of his larger tools to minimize the potential for being noticed. He wanted to see if Dias and Loke had gotten further away, but he couldn’t make any moves that would draw attention to them.“Well, I suppose you could be related. But maybe you have another relative that is traveling around from Caax with a light green-haired vixen?”Magnar wanted to laugh at the thought of Loke being a vixen, but he was far too nervous with Betti so close to them. “I’m afraid it is only us traveling and we haven’t been to Caax in a few months, right bro?”“Right.” Blu managed to get his words out.A crowd was starting to develop around them. Many people were coming to their aid and harassing Betti, but others were encouraging all of them to get out of Nakbe and stop disturbing their peace. Some stones were being thrown and in the confusion, a pickpocket attempted to lift some coin from Betti, only to have his hand grabbed tightly in the process. It was a good enough distraction that they could have easily ran off to find Dias and Loke, but Magnar recognized the kid as the one that tried to steal from them earlier.“Magnar, what should we do? They stopped throwing things at us and we can easily get out of here now.” Blu whispered.“Yeah, but we met this kid yesterday. He’s a little lacking in smarts, but this isn’t someone he should be taking on. He doesn’t deserve whatever Betti will do to him. Do you think you could discreetly zap him or something? I can grab the kid and we can try to maneuver through the crowd.” Magnar didn’t really want to get involved but he also didn’t want to do nothing and have it on his conscience.“I’ll try my best.”Betti’s hold on the kid was so tight that his hand was starting to turn blue as he was swung about by his arm. Blu had to try and focus in between people that were starting to surround him to get an accurate shot. Magnar had woven through the crowd to where he would likely be dropped. He didn’t want to separate from Blu, but he had to in order to save the kid. Once Blu had a clear shot, he landed a pellet right into Betti’s wrist. It shocked him enough to drop the boy as Magnar predicted he would. Magnar was there to catch the kid as he was dropped to the ground.“Hey, can you run?” Magnar asked him as he helped him to his feet.“Yeah, why? Who are you?”“Questions later. Just come with me.” Magnar led him through the crowd and met up with Blu near the back of the crowd and they ran towards the nearest alleyway. Betti was still screaming about his hand and the townsfolk started chasing him away with as many rocks as they could throw.Blu poked his head out of the alley and looked down towards the crowd. “We probably shouldn’t go back that way. Do you know how to get to where Loke and Dias were going?”Magnar shook his head. “We didn’t really explore much outside of where we were going. I wish we had time to do that. And they have the map.” He turned to their new companion. “You ok kid?”“Yeah, though I’m not really a kid. I’m nineteen.” The newcomer shook his hand about. “I’m starting to get feeling back in my hand now. What was going on? Wait - didn’t I meet you yesterday?”“You just tried to pickpocket an assassin. And yes, you tried to swipe my seeds earlier.” Magnar leaned against the wall as the nerves he was suppressing were trying to resurface.“Whoa, no way! Wait, you were the one he was after? And where’s your girlfriend?”“She’s not my girlfriend. But apparently, but yes, he is chasing us.” Magnar paused as he had a new plan. “You’re from around here, right? Can you get us to this location?” He quickly drew a rough map of the hotel and the building with the tunnel entrance, but he wasn’t sure about the roads in between.“I guess I can show you how to get there since you saved me from that. Follow me.” The kid was a lot faster and nimble than both Magnar and Blu expected and struggled to keep up and maneuver through tight passages.Blu wasn’t sure if they should trust a thief, but he wanted to be sure Loke and Dias were still safe and didn’t have much of a choice. “Do you think Loke and Dias went to that place or are they waiting for us along the way?”“They should have kept going. But we can look out for them along the way.” Magnar worried Loke would have stopped but he trusted Dias to keep her moving in the event she refused.Loke and Dias had watched as much as they could from around a corner. When Loke noticed Blu’s shot hit Betti, she started to rush out from the alley, but Dias grabbed her around the middle and held her back.“They’ll find us, we should keep going.” Dias understood why he was tasked with taking Loke first. Whether or not Magnar intended on being a decoy, he likely assumed it would be a possibility.Loke reached out her arms towards Magnar in Blu in protest as she was pulled backwards. “But what if they need help? They can’t handle that guy alone!”“They will find a way to escape. I don’t think they wanted to directly engage either. Look, there’s a huge crowd, I’m sure they will find a way through it. Let’s keep going.” Dias held her tightly, not wanting to let her run to her death.Loke wanted to argue and protest more, but Dias wasn’t going to let her go if she didn’t calm down and cooperate. She sighed and stopped fighting Dias. “Fine. But if we don’t see them quickly, then we should go back for them. I won’t leave here without them.” She didn’t want to think about them being killed and silently offered words of hope to the god of protection as they briskly went back on their path.They reached the street with the small house and found an alley across from it to wait. Loke was anxiously pacing and Dias was getting tired of watching her pace. He debated with himself if he should confront Loke about his suspicions he had about her, but he figured she wasn’t in a frame of mind for much of a straight answer. He also wanted to know what it was that Magnar had to say to her that he couldn’t also tell them. He figured it had to do with why they were going this way, but there wasn’t a lot of explanation about anything specific.From the opposite direction, Winter was cautiously making her way up the street. She found the small house and looked around, looking for the others. She spotted Loke pacing across the street and trotted over to them. “I got everything Magnar asked for. Some of this stuff is really weird. You guys aren’t doing any of that shaman mumbo jumbo stuff, are you?”“Our practices and the practices of the shaman have some overlapping qualities and practices, but no, we’re not becoming followers of the same practices as shaman. What do we owe you for the items?” Loke started to reach for her money.“Don’t worry about it. Just make sure to find a way to stop the killing in Caax. I know I’m not alone when I say it’s become a rather scary place for everyone. I’m almost ashamed to say that I’m Tumben.”Loke nodded. She understood all too well the importance of her task and all of the innocent people involved. “If only all Tumben were as understanding as you are. Thank you, Winter. You should probably leave this area. I can only imagine Betti will be looking for us when he gets through the crowds of local people. And while you may not believe in them, may the gods offer their protection upon you.”Winter smiled and ran off back the way she came. Dias picked up the sack and looked through it. “This looks like what Magnar asked for, but I don’t understand what is so special about the candles. And a house plant? I thought he was joking when he mentioned a plant.”“The plant is important for us. The air isn’t very good and the plant helps with that. Or so Magnar said.” Loke took the plant and was looking it over, not completely understanding why everything was important either.“I would have preferred a plant with actual medicinal value.” Dias was putting things back in the bag.Loke handed him the plant and heard people running down the street. She looked out of the alley to see Magnar and Blu running after the boy that tried to steal her bracelet. “Why is he still with them?” She mostly spoke under her breath, but Dias picked up on it.“Who is that guy?” Dias squinted to get a better look.Loke shrugged. “Local thief, I think. He tried to steal from us yesterday. Magnar caught him in the act.”They stopped across from the alley where Loke and Dias were waiting. Blu and Magnar were nearly out of breath, but the thief wasn’t tired in the least. But it was the thief that noticed Loke and Dias. He looked straight at them and started to back away.“Hey, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Magnar followed his line of vision and noticed Loke and Dias.Blu followed the line of sight as well and ran straight to Loke and hugged her tightly. “I was so worried! I’m glad you two are ok!”Loke smiled and patted Blu on the head. “Likewise. But who’s your new friend?”Magnar joined Blu in reuniting with Loke and Dias. “I’m not sure what his name is, actually, but Betti was hurting him a lot, so we set him free and he helped us find you.”“I see.” Dias stepped out of the alley with the bag from Winter. “Our friend came through with your request. We should probably be going.”Magnar took the bag and looked inside before turning back towards the thief. “Yeah, we probably should. Hey kid, thanks for getting us here.”“Yeah, thanks for saving my hand. I know it’s weird to ask, but can I come with you guys? It’s not like I have anything holding me to Nakbe.”“Why would you want to travel with us? We have nothing to offer you and our own supplies are rather meager. It’s also pretty dangerous, as you can see from that guy back there.” Dias figured this kid would cause more problems than it was worth and he had only just met him.“Yeah, I get that you guys are into something serious to have an assassin after you. But you were the first ones that ever actually caught me and make a fuss. For sure I would have lost my hands for that. And then you guys saved me again with that big guy! So I feel like I still owe you or something. I’m super nimble and fast. I’m sure I can be useful somehow.”Everyone looked at Loke, since no matter what they suggested she would probably have the final word anyway, though they all weren’t without their opinions on the matter. Loke thought for a moment, considering the danger and the group’s strengths and weaknesses. Something about him felt like she should give him some consideration, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. “May I ask your name before I decide?”“Oh, sure. Sorry, I should have told you sooner. I’m Votan. I grew up in the streets here in Nakbe, though I don’t think I was really born here.”Loke immediately made her decision and didn’t hesitate any longer. “Votan, welcome aboard. You’ve met Magnar and Blu. This is Dias and I am Loke. We should start moving, but I we can talk a little more along the way.”Votan thought she was unnecessarily formal and rolled his eyes, but nodded and followed Magnar with everyone else to the small house.The house was far darker than it was before. The torches weren’t lit and the door didn’t quite welcome them as it did previously. Magnar lit one of the torches on the wall and carried it down with him, leading the way down the long staircase.Meanwhile, Loke’s probing questions were the only thing that echoed through the stairway. “So, Votan, have you any memories of your family?”“Not really.” Votan had no interest in talking about himself. He mostly wanted to tag along to get out of the boring day to day life the streets of Nakbe presented. And maybe he could eat for free if he hung out with foreigners.“Do you know the origin of your name?” Loke wasn’t sure why she was compelled to let him tag along, but decided to get to know him anyway.Votan shook his head. “No. I guess my parents gave it to me, but I don’t really remember them. I’ve been called this for as long as I can remember. Why?”“It’s an old name. It isn’t really used anymore but your name is rather prominent in the ancient language of the Biyeho. Do you practice any sort of religion?” Loke felt like Magnar was glaring at her though he was rather far ahead compared to her and Votan.“No, not really. I wasn’t raised with any, either. I mean, I heard things about the problems in other countries with the different religions, but Wiil doesn’t have any major groups of either of them, right? So, it’s still pretty peaceful here in that way. Though, I guess there was something in the orphanage, but that closed up a long time ago and I barely even remember living there. A bunch of us little kids had nowhere to go, so we all are out in the streets.” He hoped her probing questions would end soon. Votan was finding them quite annoying.Loke felt terrible about his living situation, but that wasn’t her greatest concern. It also seemed that this group was full of orphans so far. She knew about her and Blu and it seemed Magnar didn’t have parents either. Dias was rather mum about his past, so she knew nothing one way or another. She wondered how all of them managed to have drastically different outcomes in life. However, Votan was acting as a pickpocket and that did give Loke some hesitation in proceeding with Votan. Though, she was well aware that it was the sad reality of many that found themselves in that situation. “I’m sorry to hear that. But, there are a few of us in this group that lost our parents while we were young, so you don’t have to feel alone in that way.”Votan made a face that no one saw in the dark, but he was finding Loke’s questioning rather annoying and already wanted a better conversation partner. “Yeah, ok.” He wormed his way through the group to walk next to Magnar. “What’s up with the chick?”“Loke? Ah, she’s been a little out of normal human interaction for a while. Don’t mind her so much. Oh, and she’s apparently important in her religion, so she might say some things that sound a bit unusual sometimes.” Magnar was focused on trying to get to the bottom of the stairs and wondered how this new addition to the group was going to impact things going forward.“So why are you traveling with her?” Votan wondered why any of them were here. They could just leave her back in town and to wherever they were going without her, especially if she was one of those that the assassin was targeting.“Because she hired me to. She’ll probably regret the bill she’s going to get at the end, but I’m pretty sure she’s aware of the cost.”Votan was surprised that Magnar would freely admit something to a thief. “Whoa! Wait, so she’s loaded? I thought that bracelet looked kinda cheap, but is it worth a lot then? Is she paying all of you?”“She does seem to have excess money and I’m the only one here being paid. However that bracelet isn’t worth anything to anyone else except her. And don’t to steal from us. We might not be big and loud like Betti, but we’re capable enough of handling you.” Magnar reached the bottom of the steps and stood aside while everyone reached the open room to join him.The textiles that once lined the floor were gone and the room that Loke and Magnar had visited the Micah was now open wide and entirely empty. Magnar started to wonder if he dreamed everything about that meeting but ignored it as he had more important things to take care of.Everyone except Loke took a candle from the bag. Loke was entrusted with the plant and she wasn’t to be left without someone by her side. Since they were going into a new area, Loke would be in the middle with Blu and Dias would follow behind them while Magnar and Votan would be leading the group. Votan was assigned to stick with Magnar, mostly to keep an eye on his sticky fingers. Magnar carefully opened the door and felt a strange wind rush out. It almost sounded like there were words being whispered upon the wind though nothing specific could be deciphered. Magnar entered the dark tunnel first, holding the candle ahead to see if there was anything to see. Once Dias closed the door behind them, their original torch extinguished itself and the candles flickered, but remained lit. Loke held the plant close to her chest and they walked in silence, keeping a careful eye on their surroundings.
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The tunnel was littered with bugs and small creatures. It ran dark and deep and didn’t seem like there was any end in sight though it was surprisingly well maintained. It had only been a few hours and probably still rather early in the day, but the group was starting to feel the effects of the environment. Their bodies felt heavier and fatigue was setting in much sooner than any of them expected. Votan had been the most energetic, but even he was noticing a significant change. They had some prepared food to eat along the way, but it was minimal and rationed. It also didn’t seem to help with everyone’s physical condition. Each time they took a break, at least two people napped to try and regenerate some energy to keep moving.While Dias and Votan napped, Magnar sat next to Loke to try and understand the tunnels. “So, we’ve been following this tunnel for hours. We don’t seem any closer to anything. I wish I asked that old man how long we would go to find anything.”“I think it’s long to act as a deterrent. There are a lot less graffitti on the walls compared to earlier, meaning that most that have started, likely gave up and went back. I’m holding the plant, so I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to inspect the walls so much, but I have noticed them smoothing out. I suspect as we get closer to wherever this leads, there should be more to see. But I think it wouldn’t be wise to give up.” If the plant was helping them with air quality, Loke speculated that they would be in a far worse condition without it.Blu came to sit near them. “I wonder if it isn’t some sort of road that leads to another town, or something. Nakbe was big, so if this leads away from the city, then it would be pretty long.”“It’s quite possible. But I’m still a little bothered by one of those passages from earlier. Brightest where there is no light to be found... I’m wondering if we’ll find something down here that relates to that.” Loke was finding it harder to focus and collect her thoughts in this environment.“More importantly, I’m wondering if we can still trust Votan. He hasn’t tried anything up front, but we should be vigilant with him.” Magnar glanced at Votan. He seemed innocent while he was sleeping, but he wasn’t sure about him when he was awake.Loke tipped her head back against the wall. “I have the feeling he’s hiding something about himself. If your name was given by the people around you, they wouldn’t have chosen the name Votan without a reason. I don’t think he was lying with the answers he provided.”“Why is his name so important? Couldn’t it be from his parents?” Blu heard the conversation in the stairwell as well as everyone else did, but nothing seemed unusual to him. He also wasn’t sure what she meant by the passage she recited, but decided that was something he wasn’t supposed to know about.Loke tried to stare at a ceiling she couldn’t see. “It could be, but who named him isn’t as important as his name. Votan was one of the original vessels for the gods. There were originally a small handful of early gods that chose human vessels and Votan was one of those early vessels. It’s not a name that is used as much anymore, but more than a hundred years ago, it was fairly common.”“So, he was named by someone that’s familiar with the history of the old religion? Or maybe his family used that name since those days.” Magnar didn’t care a whole lot, but this conversation was better than nothing. He remembered Loke commenting on his name being uncommon as well, though her name was equally uncommon to him.Loke nodded. “Votan was a vessel for wisdom. He brought about a lot of education for people and most of the mantras and rituals we still practice today.”“That isn’t insignificant. But this guy is a street thief. If anyone was out there educating people and knowing rituals and other Biyeho things - that would be you.” Magnar wasn’t sure where Loke was going to learn any more information about him if Votan wasn’t willing or didn’t know about it to tell her.Blu’s eyes widened. “He’s right, Loke. But the original Votan sounds more like you than him.”“There’s no way to compare me to the original vessel. He knew far more than I ever could manage to learn. But I’ll take your compliments. Thank you.” Loke pulled her head off the wall and smiled at both of them.“Can you tell me more about the vessel thing later? It’s been a while since you had a chance to teach me anything. I think you mentioned it before.” Blu didn’t think now was the appropriate time, but he wouldn’t decline learning more about Biyeho.Loke smiled at Blu. “Of course. You interested too, Magnar?”Magnar stretched out and slid down the wall a little. “Me? Nah. I’m not sure I’ll benefit from listening to any of that stuff. But if Votan tells me anything related to the topics you just mentioned, I’ll let you know.”“Thanks.”The alternating naps and meals continued on a regular basis for what Dias estimated to be at least four days when the food started becoming scarce and portions were consciously being made smaller. There was also an increase in bugs and rodents in not only volume, but size. Blu managed to make some of them edible, so their rations were being reduced at a slightly slower pace, though they tried to ignore the types of food they were eating. Loke noticed the wall art completely disappear, but as they were starting to fall apart as a group from irritability caused by lack of sleep, dehydration, and malnutrition, she noticed it pick up again, and with great detailed descriptions in an ancient lettering.“We should be almost there!” Loke’s excitement was the most excited any of them had been in days. “Look, this writing says that there is a temple up ahead!”“Does it say how far? There are skeletons around here, too.” Magnar slept the least out of everyone and he was becoming the most irritable, although they all were getting on each other’s nerves.“I don’t think so, but we’re doing better than these poor souls and the writing is so old, yet so clear. We shouldn’t be far.” A wide grin had replaced Loke’s general weary expression.Blu looked at the wall with Loke. He couldn’t understand any of it, but the increase in pictures looked promising. It looked like it was telling a story and he tried to look at the images and see what kind of story the pictures told. The longer he looked at it, the more it started to make a bit of sense. “This picture looks like they’re doing something to someone at the temple. Is this place safe?”Loke went back to where Blu was looking. She read the writing and looked over the images again. “The writing mentions a ritual site, but it doesn’t explain much about what type of rituals.”“Shh, I think I hear something else aside from us.” Dias motioned for all of them to keep quiet and carefully listened. He could hear the faint sound of chatter up ahead and it seemed to be getting closer.The group waited until the owners of the voices came near them. The group consisted of a trio of men that varied in ages from a boy to an older man. They were stunned to see the five of them with candles that had nearly reached their limits and a plant and spoke in a generally unfamiliar language with each other, except Magnar recognized it immediately as sounding something like what Loke murmured when she was intoxicated. Loke, however, wasn’t completely aware of it at first, but there was something about it that felt familiar. She was still struggling to think clearly in the tunnels, but it wasn’t as important as the trio switched to the common language to be understood.“We don’t get visitors often to our city. What brings you all here today?” The man that seemed to be the middle between the oldest and youngest asked the group.Magnar spoke up first, knowing Loke would give a long winded explanation that no one really wanted to hear. “We’re looking for other cities in Wiil that might have some clues to find some people we’re looking for.”“Welcome to Nono. You’ve come to the most isolated of all cities, so I’m not sure what you’ll find. We’re not much of a grand city anymore, since many have gone to the surface, but there are a fair number of us remaining. It is our job to defend the temple as well. Have you come to visit the temple? It isn’t as grand as the one in that northern country. We took a pilgrimage once. It was quite beautiful, but getting there was a bit tough for us.”Loke set down the plant and was flipping through the pages of her book while the man spoke. Finding what she was looking for, her eyes brightened and she had an excited smile as she held up the book for the men. “Is this your temple?” Loke’s companions never got to freely look inside the book and now she was showing it to strangers. Magnar debated if he should take offense.The older man chuckled. “That looks like it did long, long ago. It’s mostly a ruin now, but we still have a lot of pride in it. May I ask where you got that book, love?”Loke closed it and held it close. “It was given to me as a young child by my parents. I’ve treasured it ever since. I’ve added a lot of notes to it, though.”The older man seemed charmed by Loke’s enthusiasm and most curious about her book. “So it seems. Come, we’ll show you around Nono. I am Aapo and this is my son, Dacey, and grandson, Naran. What were your names?”“Thanks. I’m Magnar. This is Loke, Dias, Blu, and Votan.” Magnar pointed to each person as he introduced them.“Those are some names. I think I might like to speak to you all in depth a little later, if that is alright. Dacey’s wife is a wonderful cook. We’ll have her cook for you tonight.”Dias was a little hesitant by the overwhelming hospitality towards them. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but you are quite welcoming to strangers.”Dacey laughed. “It’s quite alright. We rarely get guests in Nono – especially ones that survive the tunnel, so we don’t want to chase you away as soon as you have arrived. Also, Seneca had a feeling she was going to need to prepare extra food tonight for some esteemed guests. She’s quite talented with fortune telling. I’m sure she’ll read your fortunes if you’d like.”The tunnel opened up to an extremely large cavern that had a raised platform at the far end of the small city. Around it, most of the houses were lined into symmetrical streets. At the base of the platform, there was an opening to what Loke assumed was the heart of the temple. Dacey and Naran set up the group in an empty house on the south side of the city and once they left, Aapo returned to speak with the group. There was an ante room in the small house that Aapo asked to speak to the representative of the group. They all agreed it would be Loke, but Magnar wasn’t about to trust him with her alone just yet and insisted that he tagged along.“So, Loke and Magnar, correct?” Aapo’s confirmations were met with nods.Aapo’s smile seemed genuine to Loke and Magnar. “Great. I have some questions that your other friend might have been hinting towards earlier. I can see how it would be strange for people to offer so much to someone you don’t know, especially from outside in a place like this. But I assure you, we’re taking a great risk to our own people as well. I hope you realize the mutual trust.”“Yes of course. I was quite surprised myself, but…” Loke was cut off by Magnar.“But nothing. You would drink a glass of water from a stranger even if he had an empty poison vial in his hand.”Aapo laughed. “Which, I assume is the reason you have accompanied her.”“Yeah, something like that.” Magnar scratched the back of his head and made himself as comfortable as he could while Aapo and Loke continued talking.“I assure you, we have no intentions on harming any of you. But I am a little curious. This is an unofficial curiosity, but we had taken a pilgrimage to Holom’s temple and were blessed with the opportunity to witness a ritual for prosperity. I believe the priestess shared the same name as you. We were quite far away and unable to see her up close, but her movements and words were quite moving, even from where we stood. It has been a few years, but it was a name that wasn’t quite in line with the cultural names, so it seemed to stick in our memory.” Aapo’s arms were resting on the front edge of a table and he looked relaxed, yet it was obvious he was pushing for control of the conversation.“Has it been so long…?” Loke mostly mumbled to herself before formally addressing Aapo. “I was likely that priestess. I haven’t done a formal ritual there in a while outside of blessings for the new year, so it may have been one of my last ones at that site. If I may be so bold, but is this entire city comprised of Biyeho? I was under the impression Wiil wasn’t much of a Biyeho nation.”Aapo nodded. “Indeed we are all Biyeho. I should introduce you to the priest. He may be the only priest in all of Wiil. They have their own spiritual beliefs, that aren’t much different than our own, but overall they have been quite kind to our community. It’s quite apparent that we need to go out into the sun for a lot of nutritional needs, but there is an oasis near here that will often trade goods with us.”“So this is the only place in Wiil with Biyeho?” Loke wasn’t sure if she should be happy or upset about that notion. Biyeho in Yopa were likely non-existent anymore, and Palen was making that happen in Caax as they spoke. Wiil wasn’t really known for having many in the first place, but she was quite happy she found them and a little saddened that she found just about all of them. The complete population of believers in Kabra, Nich, Tohil, and Zipan weren’t entirely known either, but she was a little worried that their numbers were dwindling.“I believe so. That isn’t to say that those that left our city over the years aren’t still practicing, but as far as large communities go, this is where you are most likely to find us. I do have a question regarding that young man. I believe I heard you say his name was Votan.” Aapo’s curiosity didn’t end with Loke.“We’ve only met him recently ourselves.” Loke wondered if he had the same questions about him that she did.Aapo felt disappointed, but something still made him tell the story anyway. “Oh. We had a family leave a number of years ago. They tried so hard to have a child and eventually were blessed with a son. Unfortunately, the mother died in childbirth, but the father raised him with a lot help from everyone. Then, one day, he took his child to the city to try and trade some goods, only neither of them were heard from again. They named their son Votan in hopes he would grow to be wise. It seems like he would be the right age if it was him.”“He mentioned he was orphaned at a very young age. I asked him about his name and he didn’t know where it came from. He’s likely not familiar with our practices.” Loke was optimistic at the prospect of finding Votan a home, but she wasn’t sure if he would feel the same.“Is that so? That’s a terrible shame. Dacey may have more information regarding that man and child, so perhaps he may be able to talk to him at a later time.” Aapo relaxed into his chair. It was clear that he didn’t need to be confrontational here.Loke shrugged. “I don’t see him as being someone that cares much about his past, but he was rather nonchalant about leaving Nakbe. It didn’t seem like he had very many ties there.”“Then I will speak to Dacey and perhaps Seneca can learn something through his fortune that may help. Are none of you skilled with fortunes?” Aapo would have expected at least Loke to be proficient.Loke laughed with embarrassment. “It’s my largest failure as a priestess. I’ve never really had the talent although I am familiar with the techniques.”Aapo’s face lit up. “Then we should have Seneca read everyone, if that is alright.”Magnar made a face. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know anything about his future. He was quite content to live in the present and whatever was fated for him would happen as it happened. He didn’t necessarily want to know what was coming up. Loke felt similar, but her reasoning was quite different than Magnar’s. She was mostly afraid of learning that she would become a failure in her goals and cause some sort of great destruction.Aapo noticed their expressions both seeming to be unsure about his offer. “Or she doesn’t have to. She can look into other aspects as well, if you don’t wish to know about certain things. I know I don’t have the right to ask this of you, but would you consider performing a ritual for the city? I do not know if Nalli, our priest, will be bold enough to ask you for such a thing, but I feel that it would mean a lot to the people here.”This was one area where Loke would never hesitate. She was always happy to oblige for a ritual or ceremony. “I would love to. I can speak with your priest later in regards to specific details, but it would be an honor to perform on your platform.”“That is great news. I will arrange a meeting with Nalli for you and your acquaintance. I look forward to sharing a meal this evening with everyone.”Aapo left the ante room and gave his pardons to the rest of the group that was milling around the rest of the house. No one seemed to be talking to each other, but they were all quite involved in their own interests. Blu had been carving clay pellets, Dias was exploring the rest of the building, and Votan was mostly staring at some of the carvings on the walls. Loke urged Magnar to get a little bit of sleep while he could and she set herself in a corner with her book and several loose pages sprawled out around her.No one was sure how many hours had passed before Dacey arrived to invite everyone to his home for Seneca’s home cooking. The food was similar to what they had available in Nakbe and Naran kept asking a lot of questions to everyone. He hadn’t been outside of Nono and was curious to everything he would find in the outside world. At the relief of everyone, most of his questions were simple, easy questions that were about day to day life. After dinner, Seneca offered to read fortunes for anyone that was interested. Votan seemed the most interested in her offer. She took him to a different room, where she had a set up with various stones.Seneca never asked any direct questions. There was that nagging feeling of who Votan might be in relation to the city, but instead she focused completely on what she learned and how it applied to Votan as he was now. “It seems you are without a family, but although not by blood, you will be able to forge a family of sorts. You carry a lot of denial within you as well. There is a lot of flux in your future. Your recent actions and upcoming choices will surely put things into position, but for now, there is a lot of fluidity.” Seneca was a little concerned. Fate was supposed to already be determined, but it seemed that Votan’s had yet to be completely decided. She had never seen so much variability before, but she was sure that things would fall into place for him. There was a large proportion of things she could see that were firm, but in some areas, it was remarkably hazy. “My advice to you is to be true to yourself. Learn who you are and be strong.”Votan wasn’t really sure what a lot of that meant, but he thanked her and went back to the others. He hoped to learn he’d be wealthy and never have to starve again. Dias replaced him across from Seneca and he sat quietly and let her say anything about him that she wanted.Seneca enjoyed those that were cooperative, but without a direction, she sometimes wasn’t sure what road to venture onto. “Dias, you are quite knowledgeable. Very gifted in many areas as well. Though, it looks like you are looking too hard into certain issues. If you keep pressing, things won’t work out so well for you and it could hurt a lot of others in the process. Just remain observant and stay compassionate.”“Seneca, don’t you want to pry into things that you’re curious about?” Dias challenged her on her warning.Seneca continued to smile. “At times, but when it isn’t my business to know, I need to remind myself of that and remember I have other people that are relying on me and that I don’t need to waste my time with the affairs of others.”“So you won’t tell me anything about other people.” Dias did have a secret desire that he could have gotten some of his answers this way, but it seemed that Seneca wasn’t as forthcoming with that information.“Of course not. But if I were you, I would open up to others a little more instead of prying your way into other people. It will make things easier for you, in the end.”“That’s a little easier said than done. But thanks, I guess.” Dias stood to leave.Seneca smiled brighter at Dias. “I know Loke was a bit intimidated to speak with me, but could you ask her to come in?”“Yes, of course.”Dias left the room and after a few minutes of coaxing, convinced Loke to meet with Seneca. Loke really didn’t want to know how things end up for her, but nervously sat across from Seneca. “If you could refrain from revealing anything significant, I would really appreciate it.”Seneca smiled and pushed the stones aside. “I don’t want to talk about any of that, especially if you don’t want to. I want to have a normal chat, you know, woman to woman. You’re surrounded by men all the time; it’s nice to have a good womanly chat sometimes, right?”Loke wasn’t sure at all how to respond. “I don’t think I totally understand. What do you mean?” Almost all of her conversations dealt with accomplishing her goals, religion, or on the occasion she needed to, politics. Even her small talk was somehow important for day to day operations, like the weather. If she was intending on a conversation as friends would have, Loke hadn’t really had a friend since she was six and even then her conversations with Marisol were probably only typical of children so she was rather confused as to what sort of conversation she wanted to have.“You’re traveling with quite the bounty of men. Have you considered any of them?” Seneca grinned.“Considered any of them? How so?” Loke cocked her head, curiously.Seneca could tell Loke was serious but could hardly believe her innocence and did her best not to laugh. “I mean, for a potential husband! Blu and Votan seem a bit young, but Dias seems quite intelligent and has a lot of compassion. I’m sure if he cleaned up, he could be even more handsome. And Magnar is quite an attractive catch.”Loke flushed red. Never had she really thought about any of them in particular as a partner and the few times it could have potentially been a thought, she was more concerned about being taken advantage of, despite both of them seeming to be rather trustworthy at this point. “I’m not, I mean, I don’t think... no. No I haven’t. Blu is very much a pupil and much like a younger brother. Votan is a thief we just met, though I am quite interested in whom his parents may have been. Dias is tagging along for some personal reasons that I can’t even figure out, but is helpful for injuries and such, and Magnar I hired to keep me safe from things that I may come across. To be honest, I’ve never considered much in that aspect in my life anyway.” She scratched at her face nervously.Seneca smiled and started to move stones about. “I could read your relationships if you’d like.”Loke shook her head violently. “No, I’m sorry, but I think I would like to continue to let fate decide my future. If I fail at this journey, I can’t say I could even deserve to attempt something so selfish. If I succeed, then I shall be far too busy to manage such a relationship, I’m sure.”Seneca was disappointed. Both that Loke seemed to have zero interest in her relations with others, but that she even considered a relationship selfish. “Alright, I won’t read your fortune. But I just will ask that you change your outlook a little. Relationships, be it familial, romantic, or otherwise can prove to be quite supportive and not selfish in the least. Just be open to the idea. And this is just advice from one woman to another.”Loke was embarrassed to possibly have insulted her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...”Seneca smiled again. “Don’t worry about it. Send in that handsome man. I know he doesn’t want to know anything either, but it doesn’t hurt to ask one on one. Sometimes people’s decisions change.”Loke nodded and excused herself. She hoped she didn’t insult Seneca, and wanted to apologize to her again, later. She also was starting to understand what types of things women were apt to talk about socially and she wasn’t sure that was going to be a comfortable situation for her, ever. She found Magnar walking around with Naran on his shoulders and told him that he was being summoned. He took Naran off his shoulders and the boy looked at Loke expectantly. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with children other than read to them, and since she had a book full of stories and information, that was what she did.Inside the other room, Magnar saw Seneca looking quite intently at him. “Everything alright?”“Yes, I was just wondering what part of your life I could convince you to be curious about.”“I already mentioned earlier that I wasn’t interested. Things are going to happen as they’ll happen.” She should already know that fate is fate and there wasn’t anything he could do about it anyway. It just frustrated him more.“Then, may I take a peek anyway and offer you some advice? I don’t have to tell you any details.” Seneca wondered why both Loke and Magnar had been rather stubborn about having their fortunes read.“Sure, I guess that’s fine.”“Great!” Seneca found him surprisingly easy to convince and smiled brightly while she dumped a bag of stones on the table, evaluating how they fell. Her expression changed several times as she looked them over and Magnar was starting to feel bored when she finally spoke up. “Whatever you do from here on out, defend her at all costs.”“Yeah, that’s what I was hired for.” Magnar didn’t need some fortune to tell him to do his job.“Besides that. Always stay alert and defend her. The gods will always notice great efforts. And you can keep up that map thing. That’ll be good for you.”“I’m pretty sure you’re about to tell me more than I want to know. But it wasn’t too informative, so I guess that’s fine. Can I go now?” Magnar started to stand.Seneca felt a little defeated, but still somewhat victorious. She wish she could have told him more. “Sure. But there’s one more of you to talk to. I still need to talk to the quiet one.”“Blu. I’ll send him in.”Magnar came back out and Naran ran back to him. He picked him up and told Blu to see Seneca. Blu was a little unsure, but he sat across from her, fidgeting a little.“You don’t need to feel nervous. Are you familiar with fortunes?” Seneca hoped that a gentle expression could calm his nerves.“A little bit. There was one friend in the orphanage that was learning when we were little.” Blu was already starting to forget some of the names of the other kids, but he at least remembered what they were like.“Your orphanage was one that was blessed by the gods?”Blu shrugged. “I don’t really know. A few years ago it was taken over by the Tumben and we got pulled away from that and to a different one. I was just about old enough that I wasn’t at the other one long. I know the girl who did the fortunes was there when I left and given a hard time for practicing. I don’t think they look at that favorably.”“I wouldn’t think so. You can relax here. Nono is a peaceful place. We are a city of Biyeho after all, but we wouldn’t turn a blind eye to anyone else that came in. Was there anything you were curious about?”“I don’t know of anything in particular, but I’m worried about a friend of mine. She’s been in a lot of different places lately and I hope that she’ll find a place to call home one day. Um, would this work for her? I mean, she’s not Biyeho or anything.”Seneca made a face. “It is usually more accurate if the person that it relates to is here, but I can look to see how she relates to you, at least.”Blu watched her motions with great interest and was surprised how quickly she was able to provide him with an answer. “You’ll be able to meet this friend again, that much is certain. Though, at some point you will lose touch with her, so I can’t see beyond your interactions with her. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give you more information.”“No, that’s alright. I’m glad that I’ll still at least be able to see her again. Thank you.” Blu smiled and headed out.Seneca left the room behind Blu. Votan and Magnar were still playing with Naran, but Dacey and Loke weren’t anywhere to be found. Aapo came over to them and explained that Loke went to visit with Nalli. Seneca’s face turned pale and she immediately yelled at Magnar. “Why did you let her go alone? Did you not hear anything I told you?” She started towards the door when Magnar caught up to her.“What’s wrong? Your husband is with her, right? And they’re going to visit the priest, so I’m not sure why she would be in any danger.”“She isn’t in immediate danger, but she shouldn’t be left alone. If they take her there, she might not return as she was.” Seneca ran outside and Magnar chased her until they got to the base of the ritual platform. Seneca breathed a sigh of relief to see Loke and Nalli sitting on the stairs near the top of the platform.Dacey was sitting at the bottom and looked confused when his wife and Magnar came running up to them. “What’s wrong? You look panicked.”“She didn’t go inside, did she?” Seneca was still trying to catch her breath.“In the temple? No, of course not. Well, she tried to, but we convinced her not to right now. She’s up there talking to Nalli about ritual stuff.”Seneca dropped to the steps, relieved. “Thank goodness.”“Uh, what’s in that temple? Why can’t Loke go inside? She’s naïve, but rather bullheaded with things, so if she wants to, I’m sure she’ll go in at some point.” Magnar was confused about what the big deal was about going inside a building if the city was so safe.“The temple isn’t really cursed, but people who go in seem to come out very different. They lose something of themselves in there. If people go in as a group, it seems to be less of a problem, but it’s popular with the youth as a test of courage that almost always has dire consequences.” Seneca wanted the temple blocked off with even more permanent methods, but no one shared her concerns as much.“What happens to them?” Magnar was worried, but didn’t think Loke would be affected by something like that.Seneca sighed. “Most of them either become very isolated and paranoid or they are talking about seeing strange things that are quite unexplainable.”“But if multiple people go in, it’s fine?” Magnar thought this sounded like some sort of scare tactic.“From what we’ve been able to see. But I really don’t recommend going in there. It’s darker than any darkness I’ve ever seen, and we live underground already.”Magnar thought about the passage from the shaman and he knew it had to have been something Loke thought about going into. “Dacey, did you explain any of that to her?”“Eh, not in as much detail. But I did mention it would be better if she really wanted to go in, to go in with her friends. She seemed to accept that and went up on the platform with Nalli.”Magnar was still a little worried, but if she didn’t do something that stupid now, then it might be alright. “So what kind of ritual are they talking about?”“I don’t really know. She was saying prosperity and protection were the most popular, but Nalli said he had some other ideas. It will mostly be a wait and see type of thing. Their conversation was way beyond my level.”Loke and Nalli came down the stairs while the three were talking. Loke was surprised and a little anxious to see Seneca and Magnar there, especially after the distracting seeds Seneca planted in her mind. “What are you guys doing here?”“Are you alright?” Magnar wasn’t going to tell her about the warning that Seneca gave him since it would only make her worry and him being worried for her rash decision making was enough.“Yeah, fine. I’m going to go back to the room for tonight. There’s a lot for me to prepare for tomorrow. At what should be sundown, I’ll lead the ritual for the city. Seneca, Dacey, thank you for providing for us. If you’ll excuse me.” Loke started back down the street and after Magnar excused himself, he chased after her.Magnar caught up to her easily. “So, what kind of ritual are you doing?”“I really wanted to do the one for protection, but Nalli said that they were plenty safe down here. As for prosperity, they are all quite comfortable, even with things aren’t as plentiful as other years. Instead, Nalli asked me to provide an offering to the light spirit to save them from impending darkness. I haven’t quite understood what he was referring to, so I wanted to look into some things a bit tonight. Tomorrow, I was hoping to go to the temple to see if I can learn anything more about the darkness since it seems to stem from there.”“Seneca said that people don’t come out of there the same as when they go in.” Magnar frowned. He didn’t want to lecture her, but at the same time, if there was any significance to Seneca’s worries, then it would be best to be cautious.“Nalli explained that as well. But with you guys, I think we’ll be fine. Also, this reminds me of the part of that passage that mentions light being brightest where there is no light to be found. I really think there is something to that. Although, I’m not exactly sure what it would be.” Talking about actual important things helped clear Loke’s mind from distracting thoughts.“Hey, um, did Seneca tell you anything about, um, the future or anything?”Why was Magnar getting nervous? Loke just cleared everything from her mind and now she was worried that Seneca brought up the same topic she did with her. Most of the color drained from her face before it flushed bright red again. “Not even a little. She just shared some personal thoughts.” Those personal thought Loke hated now that they had infested her own mind.“She gave me some advice; I’m not quite sure how to address this.” Magnar nervously scratched the back of his head. “I’m apparently not to let you do anything or go anywhere without me. At least, that’s what I got out of it. She practically threatened me, I think. But I thought I was already doing that, since that’s what you pay me for.”Loke was already thinking there was some double meaning behind what Seneca told Magnar, but he didn’t take it that way, so she figured she was over thinking things, as usual. She really wished Seneca hadn’t said anything at all. “Oh, well, if it was just that, then, you’re doing your job just fine. Keep up the good work! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take this ante room and do my research in there.”Magnar thought Loke was acting stranger than normal, but he was finally able to relax a little since this was a safe city and no one seemed worried about them being there at all. Seneca was probably being paranoid, but he couldn’t help but be curious about the temple now too. Eventually, everyone else returned to the house and they were able to get quality rest, even though they were all unsure about when the night ended and the day began.Loke had spent the entire night reading and writing plans that most of got scrapped. She was quite used to rituals to make offerings to gods, but not the spirits. Rituals to the spirits weren’t unknown, but extremely uncommon. It was certainly something only a high priest or priestess would even be permitted to do, but even then they were pretty rare. Any instruction she had was minimal at best. Spirits were supposedly far more whimsical than the gods and she knew her affinity to the light spirit was virtually non-existent and she worried that if she did something wrong, she might ended up blinded permanently or something even worse she couldn’t consider.Dias seemed to have an affinity for light, but he wasn’t someone that she necessarily needed to include in this ritual. Loke really didn’t want to involve anyone else, if possible. She had a few rough ideas, but really wanted to get inside that temple before the day wore on too long. She also wanted to delay the ritual a little to be better prepared. Once everyone else woke up, she would try to get them together and speak with Nalli and then get access to that temple.Since no one else was showing signs of stirring, Loke set forth to the kitchen. Blu did most of their cooking at this point, and they were quite spoiled for it, but she was capable of some basic cooking and she felt like she could manage something simple. The smell of something toxic was what woke Blu and he rushed to the source. Loke was being experimental and it wasn’t working in anyone’s favor. He ushered her out of the room and he took over food duties, once again. As Blu was pushing Loke out of the room, Magnar came in from outside. No one even noticed he wasn’t in the house, but it was quite clear that he was out working on a map. Dias heard everyone else’s voices and got up to join them. Votan was sleeping so soundly and no one really wanted to wake him up, but after Loke explained her intentions for the day, they woke him up and had him join everyone for breakfast.While Loke and Magnar went to find Nalli, the rest of the group prepared to travel lightly yet prepared for anything that might happen in the temple. They convinced Nalli to postpone the ritual until she was fully prepared and also, after a lot of arguing, convinced him to open the temple door for them. They were under the condition to never separate and to return at the first sign of trouble.The inside of the temple was dark and narrow. A slight chill blew past them and even with the special candles, it was remarkably dark. Instead of bringing a whole plant, everyone took a piece from it and kept it on their person. The dark halls were rather straight forward and there were no doors, but it had many curves and turns. No one seemed terribly impressed and Votan was quite bored and wondered if he shouldn’t have just stayed in Nakbe, except he just had the best sleep and food that he ever remembered. They kept down the path until it suddenly ended. Frustrated that there was nothing to be found, Loke dropped to the ground and sat against the wall that blocked their way.“So, now what? It’s just one long, twisted hallway. Not really much of a temple if you ask me.” Magnar looked at the walls with the candle, but didn’t see anything.“There should have been some sort of chamber. The ancient temples always had a preparation chamber below or beside the ritual platforms.” Loke pulled out some notes she made earlier that morning to review.“I could see why people would get a little crazy in here though. The darkness is overwhelming.” Dias shielded his candle to get a better idea of the depth of the darkness.“I think I feel something coming out of this wall over here. It’s a faint breeze, but did these things have secret doors or something?” Votan was pushing on a side wall a few steps behind the group.Loke scrambled to her feet and joined Votan, looking over the wall carefully. She found a stone with a symbol etched into it. She recognized the symbol and turned to Dias. “Dias, can you place your hand over this symbol and repeat after me?”He looked at the wall and noticed it was the same symbol Loke carved into his scalpels. “I’m not going to die from this, am I?”“I don’t think so? But Blu knows some first aid, right? You should be ok.”“Alright.” Dias surrendered and placed his hand on the wall and looked to Loke, waiting to hear what she had to say.Loke flipped her paper over and started reading in the words of the ancients and paused so that Dias could repeat after her. It was a fairly long passage, but as they recited it, the wall began to rumble and as they finished a portion of the wall swung inward, as a door.“Well, I didn’t die, and it looks like we found the inner chamber.” Dias stared at the palm of his hand, not noticing anything special about it. He also wondered what Loke was having him recite.A smaller platform was inside the large chamber and had large bronze cauldrons at the corners. There were large murals on each of the six walls that surrounded them that seemed quite abstract, but Blu was starting to see a story within them.“Loke, was there some sort of battle between light and dark?” Blu was almost afraid to ask, but he knew Loke wouldn’t make fun of him.“Not really a battle, but certainly some conflict. The darkness was envious about how much the people loved and worshiped the light and shunned the dark. Dark wanted to be appreciated, but took it rather far. Because neither can exist without each other, they fought endlessly with no clear victor, which is why we have half a day of light and half a day of darkness. But dark always was resentful. Even today, darkness isn’t appreciated as much as the light is and is often taken for granted. According to the story, dark somehow was able to engulf light’s core. Light had enough love and admiration that no one would notice for eons that it would eventually fade.”“That’s quite a sad tale. I feel a little bad for dark, but that wasn’t a good thing to do to light, either.” Blu was following her story as his eyes moved along the murals. He was able to see most of it as she told the story.“That’s largely the sentiment, except the story does continue and not a lot of people remember the rest of it. Light vowed get their revenge as well and cursed darkness that if the light core were to ever burn out, the darkness that overtook everything would be a darkness that would destroy the world and there wouldn’t be anyone to worship anything.” As Loke rounded out the story, she realized what Nalli was asking for in the ritual and why the phrase that the shaman had Magnar relay to her was so important. This was the place where no light was to be found and where they would find the light. As she looked around the preparation area, her complexion paled. She knew what she needed to do for the ritual and her heart sank thinking about what needed to be done.“Loke, you don’t look good. Are you alright? Is it the air? Was it something with the story?” Blu started to worry, but wanted to comfort her a little. “It seems the murals around here tell that story. Isn’t that neat?”Usually Loke would have been quite ecstatic about such a thing, but to her, the murals were geometric shapes in what might have been bright colors if it wasn’t so dark. Her largest concern was how to proceed. She wondered if Nalli knew what would be forthcoming. “I think I’ve seen everything I need to see here for now. We should leave this place.”“Hey, everything alright? You’re not going to go crazy on us, are you?” Magnar remembered the stories and how Dias said could understand why people might have gone crazy in this place.“I will be fine. When we get back, I need to speak with Dias.” Loke’s tone was somewhat downtrodden.They made their way back through the temple in silence and were greeted by Nalli as they exited.“So, how was it?”“Dark. Very dark.” Loke’s expression was still heavy.“It was dark, but there really wasn’t much in there.” Magnar wasn’t really impressed, but didn’t want to go into details about the inner chamber. He felt like that was Loke’s job, if anyone’s. Votan looked like he was going to start telling him everything that was there, so Dias nudged him a little.“Well, to see everyone back in one piece is much of a relief. I was starting to worry as you were in there for several hours.” Nalli’s expression was hard for anyone to read properly.“Several hours? It only felt like about maybe an hour. Are you sure?” Loke was even more confused. She was well aware at how time seemed to pass quickly around her, but their time inside felt nothing like the hours she would waste reading.Nalli nodded. “It is probably about midafternoon or so.”“How do you guys tell time down here anyway? There isn’t any sun to tell day from night.” Votan thought that sounded fishy, even for a street kid like him.“We’re born and raised here. We just have a sense. Is there any update to when you will perform your ritual?” Nalli was quick to change the subjectAlready he was asking and Loke was starting to not want to do it at all. “I need to review one or two more things. But it seems that midnight might be a better time for something like this.” At least she could buy some time and even she had her own personal preparations to make before a ritual.Nalli grinned. “I will spread the word. Everyone is looking forward to it.”Nalli left the group and they started back to the house. “So, no pressure from that guy.” Magnar was being sarcastic. “Are you going to be ok doing this? You don’t look good.” He echoed Blu’s sentiments. Maybe it had something to do with why she wanted to talk to Dias, or so he thought. He doubted Loke would want everyone to know if she wasn’t feeling well.“I’m fine. Let’s just go back.”Back at the house, Loke spoke with Dias at great depth in the ante room. Votan kept trying to eavesdrop but Blu kept pushing him away and ultimately sat outside the door. He couldn’t hear anything from the door anyway, so there was no way Votan was going to either. Inside the room, Loke drew several diagrams and explained her ritual at great depth to Dias, who didn’t seem to change expressions, regardless of what she said. When Dias left the room, his expression was still neutral, but Loke looked like she was emotionally drained and well-worn out. Magnar saw her from across the room and looked at Dias. “Is she going to be alright? She didn’t lose her mind or something in that chamber, right?”Dias shook his head. He understood the concern that Blu and Magnar seemed to have for her as she was behaving differently than usual. “She has some things weighing heavily on her mind. She did request that everyone attend the ritual tonight and to be well prepared and on your guard. I don’t think she trusts Nalli, but she doesn’t think he’s dangerous. She is worried about the ritual not going well, but I have my utmost faith that she’ll succeed in her goals. Blu, if you would like, I can show you how to stitch some of those unusual wounds that you have been asking about for so long.”Blu was excited, but wondered what finally changed his mind since Dias had avoided showing him anything major since Nich. He also worried about what was going to happen at the ritual since Loke looked so troubled. For now, he would just go along with it. He always trusted her and now if Dias trusted her, then he would continue to do so as well. “That would be great. Thank you!”As night was supposedly upon them, Loke asked Magnar to accompany her and Dias to the temple and for Blu and Votan to attend the ritual. She gave them each instructions and those were her final words until her performance. At the platform, Dias was entrusted to Nalli for final preparations and Loke and Magnar entered the temple to the preparation chamber. Loke never replied to Magnar, but he had a one sided conversation to try and make the silence less awkward. She didn’t mind, as she didn’t need to be kept in silence, but only had to keep herself silent. In the inner chamber, Magnar was outside the door while she prepared herself. She needed to go through a small purification ritual and as she used the materials that were in each cauldron, she asked Nalli to acquire what was required and he had, as they were completely empty earlier. The two water cauldrons contained fresh water and the one that contained blood, was also fresh blood. The final cauldron was still empty, expected to be filled after the ceremony with gifts from the god they were worshiping that day. Except this was a spirit, not a god and she wasn’t sure what might be left behind. Once Loke had cleansed herself and used the blood to draw several abstract markings on her face, arms and legs, she left the chamber and joined Magnar who had been waiting for her just outside the door.“I know you won’t answer me, but is that all traditional? I mean, that fabric isn’t really covering a lot. Is it even an actual garment? And is that blood on your face? And arms? What kind of ritual is this? The ones you preformed before weren’t anything like this.”Loke kept her eyes forward. She understood Magnar’s concerns and although she wanted to answer them, she couldn’t. She also was full of concerns of her own about this ritual. She hadn’t the heart to tell anyone anything about the details outside of Dias, but he never protested and accepted his role despite her hesitations.Outside the temple, the entire city had gathered under the ritual platform. Magnar saw Loke looked even more nervous and reached out to put his hand on her arm to try and give her a bit of encouragement, but she stepped backwards quickly to avoid contact and shook her head while held her hands in front of her to emphasize that she was not to be touched. He escorted her to the bottom of the steps and she headed up them on her own. Magnar found Blu and Votan near the front and knelt beside them.“Hey Magnar, you were with her, what’s with that get up?” Since Wiil was largely free of Biyeho outside of this city, everything Loke was doing was completely new to him.“I’m not entirely sure myself, but she probably went through some purification, so it is probably along those lines. She hasn’t said a word in hours, which is typical. But she is acting out of sorts, even for her. She loves all of this type of activity. Even at all the inns we stay at she sets up a small offering. I can tell she really isn’t looking forward to this. And I don’t know what Dias’ role in this is either.” Magnar couldn’t help but feel something terrible was about to happen.“Maybe it is like when we were on that cliff and she needed assistants?” Blu was just as lost as he was, but wanted to keep optimistic.“I hope that’s all it is.” Magnar settled in and watched her arrange the dishes of herbs and oils on the platform.Finally, she addressed the city in words unfamiliar to her traveling companions, but it seemed that those in the city found it familiar enough to understand. It wasn’t the same dialect, but they had a fair understanding of her meaning. Magnar only recognized a few words here and there. When Dias approached the platform, he was also minimally dressed in what amounted to a loin cloth and laid on the platform before her. Dias could tell that she was trying to hide her nervousness from everyone, but offered her a faint smile and a nod to show he trusted her implicitly. She took a deep breath and continued her recitations and spread some of the oils over Dias’s torso and sprinkled herbs onto the oil. Ultimately, she picked up what looked like a long needle and Magnar’s color faded from his face. He realized what she was doing and took all of his energy to keep himself from rushing to stop her. Blu noticed Magnar tense up and as he heard the words of offering that he was actually knew, also realized what she was going to do and why she had been so downtrodden. Votan leaned in to whisper to Magnar, but as soon as he heard the beginning of sound, Magnar clasped a hand over Votan’s mouth without even turning to face him.Tears rolled down Loke’s face as she gave her plea of offering and slipped the needle into Dias where she would on someone recently deceased to release their souls back for reincarnation. Dias clenched his hands and closed his eyes as he listened to Loke’s words fade away. He felt bright warmth engulf his body and felt like he was in some sort of alternate place. He could see Loke and his body and the crowd of people bowing to the platform. But he was surrounded by endless light and his mind was filled with an unknown voice calling his name.“Who are you? Where are you?” Everything was too bright for Dias to see anything.“I am all around you. I am Lusaa. You have been hesitant to utilize my powers, but I do thank you for your gentleness and discretion. As you have come to free me from my prison, you will become able to fully employ my light to your needs. Because you have called upon me for assistance, I have been giving notice to your actions as well. While you will be fully able to control light without any summoning aids, I know that you will not abuse this ability. Your concern for the welfare of others has led me to invite the god of health to this meeting and he is currently lending his power of healing to your soul. You’ll be one of the few with the ability to also utilize the power of the gods, although you will not ultimately become one yourself.”“I’m dreaming, right? Is this a test before reincarnation?” Dias never expected anything like this to happen and he doubt she knew anything about it. He expected Loke to do her best to keep him alive but he was aware that that he might ultimately have to become a sacrifice and was willing to die for the betterment of the Biyeho if it was required of him.“Go forth, spread the light and good health.”Loke pulled the needle from Dias as the light Dias saw had disappeared. Momentarily, everything went black for him and slowly he started to hear what sounded like Loke ending her offering prayer. He could tell something was going on by her tone and some gasps from the citizens, but he hadn’t quite come around and his own consciousness wasn’t in place.Loke finished her ceremony with a blessing to everyone in both languages and knelt beside Dias while the crowd dispersed. Nalli started up the stairs and Magnar took that as a cue that it would be safe for them to do so as well. He ran past Nalli and reached the top before anyone else could get close. He noticed Loke holding Dias’ hand and her face streaked from tears. It was the first time he noticed the markings on her face that Dias mentioned a long time ago and wondered why he hadn’t noticed them before.“Loke, what was that all about? What happened here?” Magnar tried to look over the platform, but kept going back to Loke.She wiped her eyes with her free hand, afraid to look at any of her companions. “The light’s core was fading. Light’s time was nearing its end. That was what Nalli meant by the impending darkness. Dias had a great affinity to light, so it was the natural course of action, according to the protocol.”Magnar followed what she was saying and knew he shouldn’t force her to clarify, but the words were out before he could stop them. “You offered Dias to the spirit of light?”Loke couldn’t look at him and simply nodded, tears continuing to roll down her face.“Now, now, she performed admirably. Did you not see the light briefly fill our dark home?” Nalli finally reached the top and was clapping, proud of what Loke had done for them.“That’s another thing, what was that? It looked like it came from Dias.” Magnar was wondering if the whole religion shift came from some event like this. He could understand how that could change someone. He looked at Blu who was clearly in shock and Votan was completely blank.“I don’t have an answer to that, I’m so, so sorry. But Dias accepted this role. He encouraged it, even after I suggested some alternate way. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…” Loke was going to keep apologizing when she felt her hand squeezed. She looked up and saw Dias’ eyes looking at her.Dias couldn’t see too well without his glasses, but blurry or not, he had a good idea as to what was going on. The words were filtering in bit by bit as he was coming around. “I knew I could trust you. You did quite well.” Dias lost consciousness after his few words, but it was clear that he was breathing.Nalli eyes had widened. “Was this not performed correctly? Was he not a worthy offering?” He was starting to regret all of the praise he had already bestowed upon Loke.Loke didn’t have any sort of answer, but before he could call her a fraud or try to minimize her in anyway, Magnar stepped in. “You said it yourself. She was admirable. There was that bright light that filled the entire city. Maybe something else is going on the gods are trying to tell us. Maybe you shouldn’t jump to conclusions.” Everyone was upset about something, yet the best course of action would to let it all settle in and sort everything out. “Let’s get Dias home and Loke cleaned up. Blu, Votan, can you help her while I carry Dias?”Votan snapped back into reality and put Loke’s arm over his shoulder while Blu did the same. The height difference between all three was a little awkward, especially on the stairs. Loke wanted to protest and insist she could make it on her own and that she needed to clean up inside the temple, but it was clear that she barely had any energy left to do much of anything and she couldn’t even bring herself to protest. Dias was a lot heavier than Magnar anticipated, but they all managed to get down the stairs and to their temporary residence.Inside, Magnar and Blu helped clean off Dias while Votan went back to get Dias’ clothes, and especially his glasses. Loke sat in the washroom, alone, trying to wash all of the blood markings. She was starting to scrub her skin raw, but she couldn’t see the blood wash away. After they had gotten Dias cleaned up and saw he was resting comfortably, they noticed Loke still hadn’t come out. Magnar knocked on the door and didn’t get a reply and Seneca’s words bounced through his mind.“You’ve got to be kidding…” Magnar mumbled under his breath and announced that he was going to open the door. He cracked the door and peeked in, seeing her on the floor, unconscious with water flowing from the wall over her body. “Blu, grab me a blanket!” Magnar ran in, flipped the lever on the wall for water and as Blu came in with a blanket, wrapped Loke in it and carried her out. “She’s going to hate me for this later, but there’s no choice.” Magnar was mostly talking to himself as he got her out of her clothes from the ritual and into something he could get on her easily, but all he had at hand was one of his shirts. At least it was quite big on her and would keep her pretty well covered. He dried her off and got her dressed and put her to bed.Votan kept trying to take a peek to what was going on, but Blu was trying to protect her dignity and kept pushing him out. “Come on, you can’t mean to tell me he isn’t enjoying that. She’s kinda weird, but she’s still…”Blu cut him off. “He’s trying to make sure she doesn’t die. What’s wrong with you?”Magnar came out of the room and looked at Votan before shaking his head. He heard everything while he was helping her. “I think she’ll be ok. I think she’s just worn herself out. She didn’t sleep last night at all and today was pretty intense. How’s Dias doing?”“Dias is just fine.” Dias was standing behind them and looked rejuvenated and faintly glowing. “Let me take a look at her, just to make sure.”Everyone was speechless, given how alert and mobile he was so quickly. It wasn’t until he came back out of the room where Loke was that Blu asked about it. “Are you sure you’re ok to be up?”“I’m quite rested, thank you. And Loke is as you said, just exhausted. The rest of you look tired as well. We can talk about everything tomorrow.”“Dias, I wanted to ask you something. It’s about the markings...”Dias looked confused for a moment then realized what Magnar was talking about. “Ah, those. I have a theory, but I think it’ll be a matter of time before the answer is revealed. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”It felt like an unusual answer from Dias, who had been consistently prying at Loke’s potential secrets for some time, but given the events of the past few hours, Magnar decided to let it go.Magnar woke to a pot of hot water being dumped on him. He expected Loke to be upset when she woke up, but he didn’t expect her to try and boil him. Blu heard his yell and peeked out of the kitchen. He saw Loke holding the pot as she stormed away and Blu never expected that was what she wanted it for. He felt a little guilty, but he had to fight back laughter.Votan was sitting at the table in the kitchen and a look of terror washed over his face. “Ok, I’m grateful you kept me out of there, Blu. That didn’t look too good for him. I couldn’t imagine what she’d do to him if he actually did something to her.”“And neither does he.” Loke placed the pot in the sink and sat at the table once again. She was still tired, but found some solace in skimming through passages in her book.Dias had been in the washroom and heard Magnar and assumed that Loke was finally up. When he came out and saw Magnar’s red chest and arms dripping with steaming water, he had an idea as to what happened and sat at the table. “Feeling better this morning?” He asked Loke.Loke glanced up from her book. “I should be asking you the same, Dias. But much better now, thank you.”Magnar threw something on to join everyone and mumbled as he rubbed one of his upper arms. “We need another woman in this group. I’m not paid enough to deal with this.”“I couldn’t agree more.” Votan hoped it would be a normal girl. “Yesterday was really different. I never saw anything like that.” He was fascinated by what he had watched, but with everyone’s mood swings in regards to the ritual, he didn’t want to say something wrong.“I am actually going to agree with you on that.” Loke closed her book and sighed. She hated the idea of having to sacrifice a person, let alone someone she had come to trust.Dias wasn’t sure when the time would be appropriate, but he figured now was the best opportunity to clear the air. “Since everyone is here, I should probably explain what happened on my end. Loke approached me after we went through the temple and explained what she figured the ceremony that Nalli wanted her to perform was about. It was probably Blu asking about the story that prompted it. Honestly, it still looked like abstract art to me, but in any event, as she explained things, it became clear Loke was looking for someone with an affinity to light. Since this was an offering to a spirit, it was quite different than usual offerings to the gods, which you are all familiar with.” Dias ignored the hand that Votan raised and continued talking. “I could tell it was something quite difficult for her to ask from someone. After all of her research, she concluded this was one of those rare instances where an actual living soul would need to be offered. She laid forth the scenario and began discussing alternatives, but even I knew that none of those would be appropriate. I’ve seen a lot of things in this world. I’ve seen the ugly side to things and I’ve seen quite a lot of good. I’ve lived quite a full life, so if the spirit wanted my soul, then I was quite happy to offer it.”“But you’re here. So does that mean he didn’t want it?” Votan didn’t understand most of anything he was talking about, but was still enthralled in the story.“Well, yes and no. I’ve been given the blessings to utilize the power of light at my own discretion. But what was most curious was after I received his power. I don’t quite understand what happened, but it was also explained to me that I was being given the power of the god of health.”Loke stopped with a fork inches from her mouth. “Did you just say what I think you said?”Dias nodded. “It feels very dreamlike, yet crystal clear.”“Hey, so what does that mean? You can magically heal people?” Everyone was a bit confused and Magnar was familiar with the legends, but never was fully convinced as far as people wielding the power of the gods or even being gods themselves could actually be a thing.Dias shrugged. “I haven’t quite figured that out, but that may perhaps be the case.”Their discussion hadn’t progressed much further as the front door swung open and a crossbow bolt was shot into the kitchen, straight at Loke. Magnar pushed her chair, knocking her over, but took the bolt to the arm. “Great, first I’m boiled, now I’ve been shot.”At the door, Dacey was the one holding the crossbow with Nalli beside him. Nalli was the one commanding Dacey to shoot. “She deceived everyone! The sacrifice still lives! She’s a fraud!”Blu was trying to remove the bolt from Magnar’s arm while Dias walked across to them. Dias mostly observed everyone, but after what he went through and the amount of respect he had gained for Loke, he wasn’t about to let them slander her and kill her. “She’s not the fraud in this room. A priest that demands the head of someone of much higher status then they are without understanding anything, is a coward and a sham. I assure you that she is no fraud.”Blu stopped fussing with the bolt when Magnar nodded in Dias’ direction. Loke was in the process of trying to get off the floor, but was mostly hiding behind the table. Votan’s eyes grew wide and he was even more confused than before. Even Dacey and Nalli stopped arguing and froze in place.From behind the table, Loke shouted to Dias in a whisper. “Dias, you’re glowing! The light is coming from within you!”Dias glanced at his hand and could see that he had sort of halo effect. “So I am. This surely proves that the spirit of light has accepted me, does it not?”Dacey dropped the crossbow and Nalli backed up before running off. Dacey dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness.Blu managed to remove the bolt while Dacey’s pleas filled the room, but he couldn’t stop the bleeding. He and Votan were holding pressure and since there was no longer a threat, Dias ran back to the kitchen. Loke went to the door and crouched down to Dacey’s level. She was surprisingly calm and spoke gently despite the chaos that had just occurred. “I understand that everything seemed rather strange. To be honest, I’ve done hundreds of ceremonies and offerings and this was an unexpected result for me as well. No amount of training can prepare you for such things. And the spirits are quite a different feat than the gods. Also, please give my condolences to your family. The blood sacrifice was your father, wasn’t it?”Dacey looked up at her, surprised. “How? How did you know?”“Besides the fact he wasn’t there yesterday? I had a feeling as soon as my fingers touched the blood. He seemed to know his time was ending. I do hope that his soul was properly released. I would be honored to meet him in his next life.”“Yes, it was. Thank you.” Dacey hung his head.“Loke, you might want to see this!” Votan rushed in and grabbed her arm. Dias is doing something really funky.”Loke ran in and Dacey followed, curious to know what was happening, since it was his fault Magnar got injured. Magnar’s bleeding stopped, and the wound was much smaller now.“You CAN magically heal things.” Blu was overwhelmed with excitement and disappointed that he would never be able to reach Dias’ level since now he was given a god’s powers.Dias was sweating, but was able to get the wound down to a manageable level. Blu ran to get the supplies to bandage it. “It is apparently something I can do now, but it is quite taxing.” Dias sat and leaned against the wall.Dacey stood up firmly. I’m going to make sure Nalli understands. I won’t let either of you be insulted. Priestess, I’m terribly sorry for all of this.”Loke made a disapproving face. She hated being addressed by titles, but was relieved that everything was working out in the end.The next morning Loke was packed and ready to go by the time anyone else woke up. Magnar was always the first one awake and noticed her sitting by the door with almost all of their supplies already packed. “Loke, what are you doing?”“I want to go to Kabra. Of known ceremonial platforms and associated temples, Kabra has the oldest.”Magnar ran a hand through his hair feeling somewhat overwhelmed. “How do you even suggest we get there?”“We go west. I got some information about Wiil from Seneca last night. She said there is a small island off the coast that is easy to get to in a small boat and has a larger port that has ships to Tohil and Kabra. I also would like to go to Tohil, since the royal family has supposedly converted, but right now I want to get inside the temple in Kabra.”“Kabra is cold. It has mountains and we’re getting close to winter.” Magnar wondered what even sparked this sudden urge.“So they say.”“You’re serious?”Loke was stern. “Quite.”Magnar wasn’t a big fan of the extreme cold or the extreme heat they felt before coming to Nono. He wondered how everyone else would react to her next planned destination. “And how are we getting out of Nono? The way we came? Because I would rather not have to go through that again, even if Dias is glowing.”Loke shook her head. “Of course not. I spoke with Seneca this morning. She told me the way to that oasis. It’s quite simple to get to, actually.”“Great. Can we all wake up properly first?”Loke didn’t really want to wait, but she understood getting breakfast in, especially since they didn’t know when the next time they would have such great accommodations. “Ok. But we shouldn’t wait too long.”“Yes your majesty.” Magnar said it mockingly but she gave him a look of death and he saw Blu from the corner of his eye coming out to start cooking.“What’s going on?” Blu was trying to make sense of things.“Someone was behaving like a princess. You know, no regard to others around her.” Magnar gestured dismissively, pretending to shoo off peasants.“I’m not a princess, I’m a priestess.” Loke continued to give him an angry glare and wanted to lay into him for referring to her as royalty in any facet, but she couldn’t do that with Blu there.“Close enough.” He went into the kitchen with Blu and glanced back to see her clearly angry, but doing her best to not snap at him. He couldn’t help but laugh to himself. She never really seemed so urgent before, so something must be important for her to be this impatient.“Why’s Loke look like she’s ready to leave already?” Blu glanced back out of the kitchen towards Loke, who was now pacing the room.“She wants to go to Kabra. Apparently right now. But she can at least wait until we have breakfast and finish packing up.” Magnar let out a big yawn, not really wanting to leave just yet. He hoped he could wait a few more days for everyone to be in better health.“What’s in Kabra?” Blu was genuinely interested in anything there was to learn, but Kabra was quite far away and cold. It was supposedly as cold as Wiil was hot.“Ice. Mountains. Some fjords I heard that are nice looking. She mentioned a temple.” Magnar prattled dismissively.Loke came into the kitchen while they were talking, though neither Blu nor Magnar noticed until she added onto Magnar’s list. “The oldest known temple and ritual platform.”“Older than the one here?” Blu couldn’t believe that the one in Nono was as old as it was, let alone something being even older.Loke thought about it over a brief pause. “Probably about 100 years older. Not terribly significant in comparison, really, but a few generations can make a difference.”“It’s probably because it froze in ice or something.” Magnar quite disliked ice and snow.“What’s this about ice?” Dias walked in with Votan right behind him.“Someone wants to rush out to Kabra.” Magnar made a face as he burnt his tongue with coffee.Dias raised an eyebrow. “Kabra? I spent some time there during the wars, but it might not be what you are expecting. There should be pockets of each faith, but both are quite at odds with each other. I would imagine there are villages that started in Nich that transferred there. How are we planning to get there?”Magnar nodded towards Loke, who still looked at him like she wanted him incinerated. “We take a ship from the west. Seneca was the one that provided the details. Votan confirmed them.”Votan didn’t want to get involved with any big discussions, but seeing as he was the only one in the room from Wiil, he had little choice. “I heard things, you know, in Nakbe. There should be an island off the west coast that runs to Tohil and Kabra. It would be a better idea than going back the other way, right?”“Hm. I’m most concerned about the fjords on the east coast of Kabra if that’s where the ship sails, but if they already have routes to Kabra, then I suppose it shouldn’t be much of a concern right now. Why the rush?” Dias assumed he missed this part of the conversation.“After what happened here, I was reading some more about the spirits and I wanted to get more information. I know that the oldest ritual site is in Kabra, so I was hoping their temple could be useful.” She felt like it sounded like she was abandoning her original mission, but Nono was a protectorate city and Kabra’s platform should have one as well. Her own city was a protectorate city as well, though over the years some sites and their protectorate cities have been lost. She was also aiming to find proof to settle her arrangement with Edras. Even if she stepped up and took full control of her country, there could be serious repercussions for Biyeho as well. Loke was smart, but still idealistic. Edras was also smart but crafty and even if Dias were to utilize his powers of healing in front of him, Loke knew Edras would likely find a way to talk around it. She needed definitive proof. She thought the temples were long explored, but the secrets this one had weren’t something that would be discovered by any random investigation.Without telling anyone of her worries, Loke added, “After that, I do want to visit the royal family in Tohil.”Votan rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because anyone can just walk up to the palace and pop in for a visit. Maybe I should visit the sovereign here and let them know how poor and hungry we are in the streets.”“Despite the sarcasm, Votan has a point, Loke. And if they converted, they may not be quite so willing to sit with a Biyeho priestess.” Whether it was from having a good rest or surviving nearly being sacrificed, Dias felt like his breakfast tasted a little bit better than usual.“I know. But that was one of the reasons I wanted to put visiting Tohil on the back burner for a while and visit Kabra first.” Loke had her methods to gain an audience, but she still hoped to find an alternative way without divulging her identity.“Didn’t she get to see the queen in Holom though? She had that letter when she came back to Caax for the people of Seibal.” Blu was trying to support Loke, but didn’t want to insult Dias’ observation. He had even more faith in Loke’s abilities now than before and he’d assumed that her status as a High Priestess was what gave her privlidge.“Whoa, she met the queen? What was that like? I thought she was just being ambitious or something, not that she actually had connections.” Votan may have underestimated Loke, but he didn’t entirely understand why the other three let her dictate everything.“Difficult, in many ways. But she does care a lot about people and was quite generous to help the people of Seibal.” It felt weird having to explain herself as a separate person, though Loke was somewhat used to it. She wished she could tell them everything, but now wasn’t the right time.Votan didn’t know where Seibal was, but wondered if she was talking up the queen since she was royalty. “Did anyone else get to meet her?”Loke shook her head. “No. I’m afraid I was the only one to visit with her that day. Dias and Blu were in Caax and Magnar had the day off.”“You gave your bodyguard the day off? Are you allowed to do that?” Votan expected her to be in danger everywhere by how everything had sounded so far. Dias interpreted the situation differently, but kept it to himself.“Yeah, she was at home. She didn’t really need protection in her hometown. I wasn’t even hired until she was near Caax, so in Holom she was perfectly safe.” Magnar already finished eating and was heading to pack up the rest of his supplies. “And since someone is in a bit of a hurry, I guess I can get myself together too.”The less than subtle reminder reminded everyone of Loke’s urgency and picked up their own pace. They made sure everything was as orderly as when they arrived and saw Seneca in the streets and thanked her for all of her assistance and kindness from the people in the city. Magnar took the poorly scribbled map from Loke after she got them lost and led everyone to actual exit of Nono.
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After being underground in Nono for so long, the concept of day and night had been greatly altered for the group. Outside, it was still daylight, but rapidly getting dark. They realized they had breakfast when they should have been having lunch. The oasis was still some distance away, but they trudged on towards the coast in hopes they could find someone to get them to the island and ultimately to Kabra. Despite their late start, they hoped to get their bodies back to a normal schedule. Magnar was the most bothered by the adjustment as he tended to be up with the sun and not having seen it in several days had irritated him.During a short break, Blu was looking at the vast darkness around them and noticed a place very far off into the distance that seemed quite bright, but the moon was slight and overhead. “Votan, is there a city in that direction?”Votan shrugged. “Maybe? I mean, there’re usually only towns near oases but maybe it is the rumored city of light. It’s really far away though. It was always in stories I heard growing up. There was some city of light all the way in the south of Wiil. No one knew why, but it was always light, never dark. But I think it was more of a fairy tale people tell kids.”“I wonder if what happened in Nono with Dias made the light there stronger. Do you think darkness is there, Loke?” Blu looked at her quizzically. Loke was so excited when anyone absorbed anything she explained, especially Blu. “It is possible. But as much as I would love to take a detour, I think we should still head to Kabra and come back for that at a later time.”“Wow, even the great knowledge seeker is skipping this one? I’m amazed.” Magnar panned.“Magnar’s mocking aside, I also am a little surprised.” Dias agreed.Loke frowned. “I’m sorry Dias. I’m sure the spirit of light is really strong there and might be interesting for you, too, but I feel like Kabra is somewhere I need to be. I do want to come back to look into it, so we can keep it in mind for later. I’ll add it to the list of places to visit. But if darkness is there as Blu suggested, then unless one of you has affinity to it, it might not be helpful at all to go now.”Magnar frowned. “You have a list? How long is this list? Should I have asked for this when you hired me?”“The list changes as we go. Right now it has three things. Kabra’s ritual platform, Tohil’s royal family, and now Wiil’s city of light. Hopefully along the way we can figure out how to make the genocide stop in Caax, stop it from spreading through Yopa and to Holom or beyond, then I can relieve you of your duties.” Loke gave him a sly smile, knowing some of this was his fault for telling her what the shaman said, otherwise she wouldn’t be bothering with this diversion.“Great. So easy. Let’s go so that maybe I can work on my farm again while I’m young enough to do so.” Magnar hated how Loke made it sound simple but everything until now hadn’t been simple at all. He didn’t regret accepting her amended deal in Teo, but he wondered if there wasn’t a better way to go about it.Loke snorted, but she did agree that they should get moving again. It wasn’t as late and everyone thought it was they had a while still to go. Votan fought back a laugh through the entire exchange. Loke seemed to be a stick in the mud, but he loved how Magnar didn’t just let her boss him around without letting her know how he felt about it. Blu and Dias were used to their banter by now and only really worried when they weren’t squabbling.Daybreak brought the promise of another hot day, but they were near the coastal village that hopefully could get them to that island port and not have to deal with so much sunlight and dry heat. Not having much in the way of shaded trees and a stark view no matter which way you turned provided a quiet journey, with little to get excited about. Fearing it was simply a mirage and they had been going in the wrong direction, they eventually came to the coastline of Wiil. It was just as arid and hot as the interior, but at least there was warm water to distract them. From the outskirts of the village they could see the island and several large boats waiting at the port.The village was rather quiet and sparse despite being the connection to the mainland and the port. For a town that is closely related to a port, they expected to see at least some movement or market, but it was completely opposite. There were only a handful of homes that looked like they could use some attention and a few older men fishing off the dock. Even sleepy fishing villages in Holom were more active, Loke noted. Knowing that they didn’t have the greatest reception in Nakbe because they were outsiders, it was decided to let Votan try and talk them into letting them take a small boat across to the island, but he had to be chaperoned by Dias. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust him a little; they didn’t trust him at all.The men at the docks gave Dias a look since nothing looked local about him. They relaxed once Votan was able to spin a story that made it sound like he was making these strangers leave Wiil and return to Kabra. Ultimately, the men agreed to take everyone over to the island, but their boats only could carry three people in one boat at a time. It was an uneven split, as there were now five people traveling and two boats, since Votan decided not to stay in this town either.The boat took about an hour to reach the island and since Loke and Magnar were the first pair across, they had a lot of time to wait for everyone else. It was a surprisingly busy port compared to the village and the streets were just as confusing as they were in Nakbe. Stalls were lined up where people were trading goods for imports as far as either of them could see and it was exceptionally crowded. It would have been the best time to look for transportation to Kabra, but after a short argument about Loke’s lack of direction and potential for getting lost, it was just safer to wait for the others and look at stalls that were still within sight of the docks.After Dias and Blu joined them, they still had a few hours to wait for Votan. The group was already fairly well stocked on necessary supplies, but they still took the time to look around briefly while they waited. Loke seemed to be looking with a purpose, but she wouldn’t disclose what she was looking for. She wasn’t actually sure of it herself. A few moments after Votan joined the rest of the group, they heard a familiar voice cut through the crowd, straight toward them. Loke’s blood ran cold and even Magnar hung his head in exasperation.“Loooooookeeee!” Ezra came charging toward them, arms spread wide to try and embrace Loke, who dodged him easily. “I came as soon as I heard you’d be here!”“Did you write to this guy?” Magnar was confused. It was quite clear she wasn’t too fond of him and he didn’t know how Ezra would have known to come here otherwise.“No. I have no idea how he’d know I’d be here.” She kept dodging Ezra’s attempt for a hug and eventually stepped behind Magnar.“Regardless, I think this is an acceptable option.” Dias was trying to figure out how he knew to come here and how long he had been here.“Ezra, why are you here?” Loke asked from behind Magnar.“I was still hanging out on the coast in case you came back, but before I set home a woman came up to me and said to come here since you’ll need my help. But, uh, who’s this guy?” Ezra pointed to Votan, already suspicious of yet someone else near his beloved.Votan was insulted by Ezra’s tone and was immediately defensive. “Me? What’s it to ya?”“Yeah, because I would like to know who’s coming on my boat. Plus, I would like to know what sort of riff raff is getting close to my priestess.” Ezra folded his arms and waited for an answer.Everyone looked to Votan to answer until he rolled his eyes and gave in. “Votan. I’m from Nakbe. I’m not anyone special, just a stray they picked up.”Ezra relaxed a little but kept a sharp eye on Votan before shifting it back to Magnar since Loke was still standing behind him. “I would complain about not having a prettier stray, but as long as Loke’s on my boat, nothing else really matters. We can head out when you are all ready to go.”Votan leaned in to Dias and spoke softly so that Ezra didn’t hear him. “What’s with this guy? He’s a bit strange, isn’t he?”“Ezra is an adept sailor. He is an old friend of Loke’s, though he is fonder of her than she of him. He was the one that got us to Wiil from Holom and while I don’t think it is her first choice, Loke knows she’s probably safer to sail with him than anyone else. Apparently, he is rather popular wherever he ventures.” Dias nodded in Ezra’s direction as he was already starting to gain a small gathering of women.“You’ve got to be kidding.” Votan stared in disbelief, but his fingers itched at the ease of all the targets. He could probably make a killing if he teamed up with Ezra. Ezra to bring them in and distract them, himself for the pilfering.Magnar walked passed Votan who was just watching Ezra. “Don’t get any ideas. If you steal, we’ll leave you behind. The rest of us are going to the boat.”Ezra pulled himself away from the women and waved at them as he pulled the boat away from the port. The sun was already setting, but they opted to leave now instead of in the evening. Ezra didn’t care when he sailed as long as he could still sail. He had the sun during the day and the stars at night to guide him. He didn’t trust the new kid too much but he could tell he wasn’t interested in Loke at all, but he still wasn’t a big fan of Magnar either. He also noticed he was closer to Loke during this trip than the last one and it was making him grumpy. He was a lot less grumpy when Loke knocked on the cabin door.“Ezra, can I talk to you?” Loke was hesitant to enter.Ezra grinned wide. “Of course! Any time! He pulled a chair closer to where he was standing for her to sit.Loke took a seat, but still felt uncomfortable with Ezra alone. She knew Magnar was probably watching through the windows, but since the port she had been trying to piece things together and nothing she was trying to sort out made sense. “Who told you where to find me, Ezra?”“Oh. Well, a woman with brown skin and white hair. She wore blue. I didn’t quite get her name.” Ezra decided to sit in the other chair. He didn’t realize it was going to be a serious conversation and had been hoping for something more lighthearted.Loke frowned, unsure what it meant. “Was she extremely excitable?”Ezra nodded.Sighing, Loke looked out the window to the sea. “Her name is Winter. She introduced Magnar and I to Blu in Teo and has shown up periodically. She seems carefree, but now I wonder if there’s more to her than that.”“While we’re talking, I should also tell you why I was in Wiil.”Loke looked at Ezra, surprised.“After I dropped you all off, I went home. There was this guy demanding passage to Wiil and started threatening people if no one took him there. After he smashed one building, I brought him here. He didn’t say much but he did ask if I knew about some criminals. He showed me a poster. It looked like you and Magnar. Of course I didn’t say anything but I still brought him to Wii to keep our village safe.”“Betti. That’s how Betti got to Nakbe. But how did he even know to go there?” Loke’s questions weren’t generated at Ezra himself, but she looked at the others from the windows and wondered who she needed to be weary of. Betti was trying to kill off Magnar too, so she doubted it was him. She didn’t think Blu was capable of such a thing, which left Dias. He was mysterious enough, but if he was working with Betti, why would he have gotten her to safety instead of letting her walk into his path in Nakbe?Ezra shook his head. “I couldn’t say. But since I was worried, I hung around in the port for a while. That was when the woman found me and said you would be in trouble and probably be heading towards the western port in a few days. That was more than a week ago, though.”“Did we tell her about you?” Loke was still trying to put all the pieces together and was missing something important. And what is today?”“It’s the second of Kam. Does it matter if you did or not? You’re here, safe from that nightmare. Obviously they’re doing their part to keep you safe, but Loke, really, what are you doing? You should be back in Holom.”“It’s been three months already…”Loke lamented. “I should be. But I can’t overlook what’s happening in Itzam. I ignored it with Nich and Kabra since they were so far away, but Caax is our neighbor. With Edras pushing his limits, I need to stop this before things go too far. I can do more as a priestess this way. People like Betti are the least of our worries if I fail.”Ezra frowned. “But what are you actually doing? I know we haven’t seen each other or spoken since before your folks died, but are you actually just running away? You would do that when you didn’t like things when we were little. You ran and you hid. You’re hiding from your responsibilities as our monarch and it’s nice that you’re able to live this prestigious life as a priestess, but Holom needs you, Loke.”Loke hated being lectured and Ezra was right, she tended to hide when things made her uncomfortable. All she wanted to do at that moment was hide. Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath and looked directly at Ezra for the first time since they reunited. “Ezra, I’m doing this for Holom and all of the people in it. Not just because I’m the High Priestess of Holom, but because I am also their queen and it’s my responsibility to protect them. If I have to wander about the world for months on end to understand the cause of this discrimination or change everyone’s mind one village at a time, I’ll do it. I have to. When I’m satisfied, I’ll quit and return to the center of Holom city where everyone expects me to be.”Surprised, Ezra nearly applauded. Instead, he reached across and tried to wipe away a stray tear but found that the mark on her face wasn’t a tear at all, but didn’t want to ask about it. “Honestly I was wondering where the determined Loke had gone. Glad to know she’s still there. But be careful. I’ll help whenever you need me to.”Loke breathed easier. “Thanks Ezra. As much as I hated to hear it, I think your lecture was exactly what I needed.” She stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Really. Thank you. But also, I’m still not going to marry you.” She smiled and left the cabin.Once just about everyone had gone to sleep, including Ezra, Dias approached Loke since she was awake reading as usual. “How much do you know about this god-power thing?”“Not a lot. I’ve read a little about it, but is there something wrong?” Loke moved some of her scattered papers that she had weighted down and cleared space for him to sit beside her.Dias took the hint and sat. “I’m not sure if it was the spirit of light or the blessings of the god of healing, but I’m having a few side effects. The faint glow is obvious. Frankly, I am keeping myself awake at night.”“But it’s so fantastic to read by!” Loke enjoyed how well she was able to see everything when he was nearby. She smiled and tried to sound optimistic about his plight.“I’m glad that my burden is useful for you. But I’m also feeling a little colder than normal. It isn’t quite simple to explain as it isn’t really that I feel cold, but that would be the best word to describe the feeling. But at the same time, I feel warmth I didn’t feel before either. I don’t suppose you would have read anything to that effect. Medically I would say I had some sort of fever, but it doesn’t feel anything like that.”Loke thought for a moment. “Specifically, I haven’t seen anything like that, but at least, in regards to the acquisition of the power of a god, I’ve heard that there may be some physical adjustment. It may not be particularly obvious to the person or even others around him, but in other cases it could be drastic. But,” she flipped through her book to a red bookmark, “the more drastic the change, the more one should consider that they may one day become the physical embodiment of that god. And I have also heard stories of people being unable to properly acclimate and they’ve died mysterious and violent deaths. But I think that would be immediate.”“Nothing of note about spirits?” Dias assumed she had that particular section bookmarked after what happened in Nono.“Unfortunately, nothing that I’ve come across. Although, I would expect that it would be similar, but stronger. It’s hard to say. There are hundreds of gods, but limited spirits. Considering the group of us, three of us are borrowing some strength from them and you’ve acquired complete control of one. That’s only four and right away I can think of five more. For gods, I could start now and could spend at least a full day listing different gods, and I’m certain that wouldn’t be the end of it.”“The amount of gods does feel a bit endless when you think about it.”Loke laughed. “It really is. At least the average person has a few select ones they concern themselves with. But as far as how to handle the glowing and the weird feelings, I’m afraid I don’t have much information that can help you. But if you are able to control the light, shouldn’t you be able to control how much is emitted from yourself? Or maybe it’s just something that will fade away as you adjust?”“Perhaps that will be all it is. Thank you for this discussion, Loke.” Dias stood up and went back to where he had set up his camp.“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Actually, I’ll dedicate tonight’s offering to ask for some clarity. Perhaps something may come about in regards to your situation.”
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The trip to Kabra was uneventful but took longer than everyone expected. Ezra sailed to a small port south of the grand mountains which avoided the fjords and got them there a lot safer than they otherwise could have. It was expected for Kabra to be covered in ice and snow, but when the ship approached land there was green and fertile. Loke accused Ezra for taking them to the wrong place, but Dias assured her that Ezra was in fact, in Kabra. It has its reputation of a frigid nature from the extensive mountain system, but the remainder of the land was habitable. Loke set aside the urge to look around the countryside and focused on her goal to head into the mountains to find the ancient ritual platform and inspect the temple beneath it.Ezra bid everyone a fond farewell and set back on his ship for the long journey home, leaving the group to head towards the mountains. Loke didn’t have a lot of information to go on, but she had set down with Magnar to try and draw up a rough idea of what a map may look like from the information she knew about the platform’s location. From her readings, she suspected that there would be some sort of protectorate village, or at least the remains of one, near the base of the mountains to protect the trail. If they could find that village, they should be able to find the trail. The mountains were taller than anyone had envisioned and though Holom had mountains of their own, they paled in comparison. Loke was wondering if they would even be able to find anything once they set into the mountains. In the meantime, they determined it was best to just move forward and find a village of some sort as no one was prepared to climb mountains like these.It took three more days before they reached the base of the mountains and found a village. The village was a moderate size with a good number of villagers and visitors alike. There were several inns to choose from this time around and after giving it some thought, Loke suggested the one that was the least expensive and considerably run down.“This isn’t much better than the empty places that I used to hang out in Nakbe. Can’t we get something better?” Votan liked their lodgings in Nono and he tagged along hoping to get to stay in more places that comfortable.Blu’s face seemed to match Votan’s outward sentiment, but Dias didn’t really seem to protest. Magnar hadn’t too much of an opportunity to argue before Loke held up a piece of paper with a lengthy list of numbers. “This is why we are staying here. Unless the rest of you have some extra money to pay toward the room, I’m afraid we need to consider our lodging a little more carefully. The free nights in Nono helped, but Nakbe was quite expensive.”Magnar snatched the paper from Loke and looked it over silently before handing it back to her. “This place is just fine. We’ll stay here.” Ahead of everyone else, Magnar went inside and spoke with the innkeeper.“What are those numbers, Loke?” Dias was now curious to see why Magnar was suddenly so cooperative with her. Of anyone, he expected Magnar to fight her about it.Loke handed the paper over and he gave it a glance. The paper was a listing of all the expenses that she had incurred during her trip, but never listed any funding coming in. There was an exceptionally large number next to an unidentifiable symbol, but given that it also had a sign indicating that the number was readily increasing, Dias surmised that it was probably Magnar’s fees. He understood why Loke was starting to get concerned about finances and he wondered where she would get that amount of money to pay him. At the rate they were going, Magnar could probably afford to buy the entire country Caax if he really wanted to.Dias handed the paper back to her. “I think we should think about ways to increase our own funding to ease some of these other costs. I’m sure we can find ways to earn money for basic supplies.”“I have another method…” Votan’s fingers had been itching to steal things lately.“NO.” Loke, Blu, and Dias were quick to unanimously put down Votan’s idea of acquiring more money.Votan suppressed a pout. “Ok, fine. But if it means staying in a better place, then, I guess we can’t help it. But I still like my method.”“You aren’t terribly good at your method. It would best if you forgot about doing that entirely.” Loke folded the paper and placed it in the back of her book.“I just picked the wrong targets. That’s all.” Votan dismissed her suggestion to quit.Magnar returned with a handful of keys and a grin. “They are overwhelmed to have someone actually staying here, so they’re giving us all single rooms for the price of one. And free meals.”It was a bargain that none of them really could complain about. Despite the building looking rather old and run down, the rooms were neat and clean. Even Votan no longer had any room to complain. They all went their separate ways to unwind. Loke didn’t waste a lot of time setting herself up at the desk to spread out her book and notes to try to work through recent events, but before she could actually start working a knock on her door kept her from focusing.“Loke, it’s me, Blu. Can I come in?”“Of course.” Loke didn’t bother getting up, but smiled at Blu when he came in. “Is something wrong?”“I’m a little worried about Votan. I mean, he’s a thief, right? Is it really ok to have him with us? It seems like he’s just here to get food.” Blu could sympathize, but he rarely tried to be direct with that part of his motivation. He actually liked spending time with everyone, unlike Votan that continuously complained.Loke sighed audibly, but with a more thoughtful tone. “I understand your concerns. I would be lying if I wasn’t worried about it a little myself. I like to believe that he’ll be able to stop his bad habits, but since it’s something he’s done for so long, I don’t think it will be easy for him. Or us, as I’m sure it will continue to test us tremendously. I’m also concerned that he isn’t Biyeho and could easily alert that Betti person of our location or even turn us in to whoever hired Betti since the reward is quite substantial. But he did help us tremendously in Nakbe; I don’t want to leave that favor unpaid.”“I think we gave him more than enough repayment, though.” Blu muttered.“You might be right. But he’s been helpful with the random attacking creatures so far, so I can’t really complain outside of his suggestions to pick pocket. I would like to know if that story we heard in Nono pertains to his past, but if it isn’t something he wanted to look into, it shouldn’t be any of my business.”“He is really good at those sneak attacks. I don’t doubt that. I’m just worried that he might try that with us. Like, maybe Betti is a decoy and he’s really the assassin.”Loke laughed. She was relieved that Blu was worried about everyone. She couldn’t think he would ever be able to betray them to Betti. “I don’t think so, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll be extra careful when he’s around.”While Blu and Loke continued to discuss his concerns and the things that Loke was aiming to look for in Kabra, Votan had gone to the inn’s washroom and found Dias already soaking in the bath.“Dias, can I ask you about something since the others aren’t here?”Dias recognized Votan’s shape and voice since he wasn’t wearing his glasses. “Of course. Is something bothering you?”Votan let down his guard around Dias since he felt like Dias supported him more than the others so far. “Not so much bothering me, but I’ve been a little curious. I don’t really know much about any sort of religions. I know what was practiced in Nono isn’t popular in the Nakbe, but what they have doesn’t sound like what Loke’s against. But for some reason, during that thing with you and Loke up on that platform thing it made me feel a bit strange. It’s really hard to explain it. For some reason it felt really familiar, but I know I never saw something like that. I mean, it was really impressive and your new powers are amazing, but I don’t really understand it.”“Do you think there was something from your childhood you’ve forgotten?”Votan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe? I talked with that Dacey guy for a little bit in Nono. He thinks my parents were from there since I resemble a man that left Nono with his son with my name, so I would have been from there too. But I don’t remember any of that.”Dias reached over the side of the tub and grabbed his glasses to see Votan better. “Well, perhaps you were that child and your subconscious has memories of that place and similar rituals. Many rituals are similar in performance, though unless someone has actually died, rarely involve someone’s soul being drawn from their bodies.”“Wait, your soul was removed? Are you kidding?” Votan thought the things that everyone was talking about after the ritual was somehow coded and nothing made a lot of sense to him.Dias nodded. “I’m quite serious. Loke is very skilled to be a high priestess while she’s young, so I have no doubt she was able to extract my soul with ease, but since I was burdened to carry these blessings, it had reentered my body.”“No way.” Votan still wasn’t sure what he should believe.“It’s true. I’m sure she would love to tell you all about the history of the Biyeho if you asked her.” Though Dias knew it would be so much more than anyone would actually want to know, especially Votan.Votan put his arms in front of him to form an X. “No. Definitely not. At least, not from her. She gets really weird when it comes to the religion stuff. You’re Biyeho, right? Maybe you can explain it to me instead.”Dias smiled, though he wasn’t sure Votan’s unfavorable opinion about Loke was entirely fair. “I have enough knowledge to give a basic lesson or two, sure. After dinner I’ll do my best answer any questions you might have. But if you have questions that are beyond my scope, I do implore you speak with her about them. Blu was raised in an orphanage that was run by Biyeho, so he has bare bones knowledge, but is very inquisitive and she’s been able to educate him quite well in all of his curiosities.”“He’s a bit odd too. The weirdoes can stick together. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell me what I want to know.”“I hope I’m not one of those weirdoes.” Magnar came in and dropped onto a stool.Votan shook his head.“Nah, the other two are the weirdoes.”Dias side eyed Votan and looked over to see Magnar’s reaction. Dias didn’t dislike Blu at all. He was a little overwhelmed by his excitement to learn at times, but he found his company comforting.“Well, we all know Loke’s a little special, but Blu isn’t too bad. He’s generally shy, but he’s a great cook and really sponges up knowledge. Although, I worry that he might be a little too eager to learn sometimes. That can be easily turned against us, especially since Loke is always quite willing to oblige him. His friend seems to show up where we are too. But I wouldn’t call Blu a weirdo. I do have some concerns about Winter.”“That may be a true in some fronts. But I do have a question for you, Magnar.” Dias was changing the tide of the conversation, mostly because he wasn’t really appreciative of how Votan was regarding the others, although he didn’t hold it against him.“For me?” Magnar had originally come in to talk to Dias, but found himself now being questioned.Dias nodded. “I am a little curious. You recognized Loke’s ledger notes today. Are you really comfortable accepting that? I don’t mean to pry on your arrangement, but I worry that you may be taking advantage of her coffers.”Of course Dias would recognize Loke’s strange notes, Magnar presumed, but never expected to be grilled on it, especially in front of Votan who was a little too interested in Loke’s financial status. “We have a contract. I’m glad she hasn’t forgotten about it.” The amount that she had already estimated she owed him was far exceeding the rate that they even discussed. It made him a little uncomfortable to think about in reality, and he really just wanted enough to get by for the next season. He had no intentions on accepting so much money but wouldn’t admit that publicly. It really wasn’t any of their business how much he was being paid as they were coming along on their own whims. “But I guess we could figure something out to help pay for supplies and inns.”“Wait, how much are we talking about?” Votan was always interested when money was involved.“Enough. But if we end up spending it along the way, then I won’t be getting anything at the end of this journey. And we will need specialty items to get up these mountains.” Magnar wasn’t about to give out the exact number.Votan made a disapproving face. He wanted to know how much he really was talking about, but it didn’t seem like Magnar was going to let it slip. Either way, he suspected she was loaded and at the end of this trip, Magnar would be too.After dinner, everyone went back to their own spaces except for Loke, who spent a fair amount of time speaking with the innkeepers. She wanted to learn more about the town and of Kabra in general. The innkeepers were kind and knowledgeable and quite willing to share what they knew with Loke, which worried Magnar a little about how much information she might divulge.After breakfast, Loke explained what she learned from the innkeepers about the town. There was a trail in the back of the town that led up the mountain, but along the base of the mountain were at least four other towns with trails that led into mountains. While they didn’t know about any sort of temples or ruins, they did mention that many of the trails did intersect at various points. They also mentioned the people of the mountains, which were an unusual tribe of people that rarely came down the mountain and expressed concern that they were a violent sort. They gave a warning that many that have traveled into the mountains often wouldn’t return. Dias assumed this was where the assumption that they were violent stemmed from. He was reminded of the situation with Seibal and Nono and how the Biyeho had retreated to isolated areas. He wondered if that was the same for the mountains as well.Once they finished breakfast and prepared themselves, they set off to the trail behind the village. The innkeepers saw them off and wished them luck and blessings of their god. The trail seemed fairly straightforward and not difficult at the onset, but quickly spiraled upward and was laden with obstacles and hazards.“Well, if people weren’t running off to join the mountain people, I could safely assume that the mountain itself did them in, not necessarily the people that lived up here.” Dias was attempting to dodge some falling stones.“Yeah, and we don’t even know if we’re on the right trail.” Magnar managed to dodge a large rock but a smaller pebble smacked him in the face. “We haven’t come across any sort of intersection, either.”“I suggested that if anyone wanted to stay in the village, they could.” Loke stumbled forward, but Blu caught her.“I should have. But dodging all these things is kinda fun.” Votan was quite agile and didn’t seem to mind the falling debris. He was turning it into an agility exercise.At the first junction to another trail, they were exhausted. An old faded sign post was broken and off to the side of the trail, but no one could make out what it once said.“It’s a shame Dias can only heal people, and not items.” Blu was the one that was concentrating on the sign the most. He felt like he could see something, but wasn’t sure what to make of it.Loke perked her head up. “Actually, Dias, is that true? There was never anything in texts that said the god of healing only pertained to currently living things.”“I can’t say that I’ve examined my capabilities, but I can make an attempt.”Dias leaned over the sign and as he was about to touch it, Blu stopped him. “Wait! I think I can see something. I can’t understand it, but I can draw it.”Loke handed him a blank sheet of paper and Magnar gave him the pencil he was using to make his map sketches. Dias really didn’t appreciate being used as a light source, but if it was useful to get the group up the mountain, then he could bear it for a while. Once Blu finished drawing what he saw, Dias’ hand rested on the sign and a small branch began to sprout from the wood.Surprised, Dias set the sign back on the ground. “Well, I suppose it was good Blu stopped me. Any sign of writing is gone and I’m afraid I’ve given this old tree a bit of a new life.”Loke looked over the paper from Blu. She didn’t recognize the exact words, but it wasn’t unfamiliar. It looked like it could have been a derivative of an older language, much like what was spoken by the people in Nono, but it deviated from the form of the language that Loke was familiar with. She studied it for quite some time, comparing it to things within her book and barely stopped when everyone else encouraged her to eat. While she reluctantly stopped, a gust of wind blew through and kicked up the paper. She started to jump up to chase it, but would have gone off the side of the mountain if Magnar didn’t grab her. Votan, however, was close to the direction the paper and was able to snatch it before it flew away. He went to hand it back to her when Blu grabbed it.“These aren’t words. At least, I don’t think so. Look.” He turned the page sideways and showed Loke.Loke looked at the sideways page and realized what he saw. “You’re right. The planks should be vertical, not horizontal. The right leads to what looks like cliffs, and the left looks like some sort of ritual pattern. How could I have missed that?” Loke was relieved that Blu figured it out and thankful for Votan being able to snatch the page. “Thank you, both of you.”“Well, at least now we know which path to take now. But what did the center plank say?” Magnar couldn’t make anything out of the page.Loke and Blu looked at it before Loke looked concerned and confused. “It looks like some sort of warning. It’s hard to figure out what they’re saying, but this looks like struggling souls, meaning somehow people aren’t given a proper send off for their souls to be reincarnated.”Votan wasn’t sure what would have been warning them about the village they came from. “That thing is old, right? The town didn’t seem all that bad.”“I hope you’re right, Votan. But it could just mean that they’re not Biyeho since their methods don’t release the soul from the shell.”“Either way, we’re not there, right? Let’s head to the left. We probably shouldn’t linger here too long either.” Magnar rallied everyone up and they headed down another trail that was refreshingly quiet, but after the falling rock the group experienced earlier, no one was letting their guard down.After the sun set, it became increasingly difficult to see, except for those next to Dias. The group needed to find somewhere safe to camp for the night. The path was narrow and not a lot of space to get comfortable. The nocturnal animals were starting to stir and fighting them off was a risky endeavor. Loke couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched, but didn’t mention it to anyone. During a battle with a particularly tenacious mountain lion, Magnar caused a small rockslide by using his spade to take out the lion, but proceeded to block their path in the meantime. While he started to manually dig it out, he was aided by the others and fought with Loke for her to take a rest for a while. She needed the rest, but she didn’t think it was right for her to rest while everyone else was moving rocks out of the path. She could tell Blu was struggling to keep up with Magnar and Dias, and Votan seemed to mostly be goofing off. Set to jump in and help despite the argument that would ensue, she found herself being grabbed from behind and was carried off, unable to alert the others.“You didn’t need to make Loke sit this out, you know.” Dias was using Magnar’s hoe to pull rocks from the top of the pile down the slope.“Yeah, but she’ll be no good when we need her if she’s tired from this. Plus, she probably fell asleep. She hasn’t yelled at me for a while.”“Um, Magnar, Dias, Loke isn’t there.” Blu had turned back to see if she was sleeping or not and didn’t see any sign of her.“Are you kidding? She couldn’t have gone anywhere.” Magnar dropped the rock in his hand and looked back.“And I doubt she’d have gone off without you.” Dias stopped pushing rocks and turned back as well.Votan walked back to where she had been and looked around. “Her book is here. Isn’t that practically attached to her?”Magnar turned pale, much to everyone’s surprise. Blu and Dias hadn’t actually seen him this concerned about anything they’d been through. “She values that thing more than her life. Something’s very wrong.”While Blu and Votan went a little way back down the path calling her name, Dias and Magnar searched for some sort of tracks that might indicate where she had gone. It didn’t look like she went down the side of the mountain, or up the side of the mountain. The trail behind them was a mess from their own footprints and didn’t help them in the least. They were at a loss as to where she had gone and all were hoarse from calling out and wearing themselves out with worry. Magnar was berating himself while Blu was the only one that seemed genuinely concerned about her wellbeing.“Do you think the innkeepers were right? You know, about the mountain people the villagers mentioned?” Blu was worried she was taken and they wouldn’t see her again.“It might be our best option and we can just hope she’s not gotten herself into trouble with them. But where could they have taken her?” Magnar assumed Loke would be saying something to get herself into trouble. She probably got picked off by some missionaries and they were trying to brainwash her or something - or so Magnar imagined.“It’s too dark to see anything. We’re gonna have to wait until morning.” Votan didn’t care a lot about her and was a little relieved that she wouldn’t annoy him, but she seemed to be the primary source of funds and since everyone else was worried, so he couldn’t help but feel some concern.Dias looked up the mountain side and squinted at something. “I don’t know how this is going to work, but I would like to try something. I would recommend everyone shield their eyes.”Magnar clenched his eyes tightly and wasn’t quite sure what Dias was saying, but he could easily see the brightness behind his clenched eyelids.“I think I may have found something. It shouldn’t be too bright for you all now, so open your eyes.” Dias pointed to a section up the side of the mountain that was casting an unusual shadow. It was a steep slope and would be a difficult climb for them, but the shadow looked like the entrance to a cave.“Do you think she’s in there?” Blu asked.Magnar looked up at the small shadow. “I’m not sure, but I think we should check it out. She’ll probably fire me after we find her, though.”Votan was already climbing and wondering what was taking them so long. “Hey, I’ll end up beating you all and get the glory of saving the girl.” Not that this was a girl he really cared about saving. If only she were someone else, he could just imagine the gratitude towards the hero.“I wonder about that.” Magnar didn’t think she would offer any glory to being rescued, but she would probably be more concerned about the book that got left behind. He tied to Blu’s back before they started up the mountain. “Blu, don’t you dare lose that book. She’ll have all of our heads if we don’t get it back to her in one piece.”Blu tugged on the rope. “It feels pretty secure. I think it should be ok!”Dias brought up the rear, but keeping the light bright for them to see was taking its toll on his stamina. He hadn’t used it for more than a flash here or there outside of the continuous glow he control, but he hadn’t realized how straining this was for him to keep it up on his own.Votan stood on a branch that was growing out of the side of the mountain next to the cave, waiting for everyone to catch up. The light was all but faded from Dias, but they followed Votan’s path up the mountainside. They found a ledge just below the cave that would hold them and peered over the side. It was dark and the cave looked like it ran rather deep. With nothing else to lose, besides their lives, perhaps, they carefully climbed up and walked inside. Dias dropped all light and wasn’t even glowing anymore. He was physically exhausted and while they hoped to find Loke, they didn’t mind using this cave as a place to rest if it turned out to be empty.Meanwhile, while the men were climbing the mountain to find her, Loke was tied up and gagged in the center of a large open area that looked like it could have been a town square. Every so often someone would throw stones at her or call her some sort of derogatory name. She was reminded of Caax, where those that were to be executed were publicly ridiculed before being hanged. All of her accessories, jewelry, and for some reason, her boots had been removed and while she was left with nothing but her basic white dress and her mantle, she was feeling most hopeless without her book which was left behind.Loke looked towards the women with children for sympathy, but most of them just ushered their children away. One of the men, that didn’t seem different in age than she was, actually approached her and pulled the cloth out of her mouth.“You put up quite the fight getting you here. We have three guys all injured because of you. Would you care to apologize to them?”“Only if you apologize for kidnapping me. What do you want from me?” Loke snapped. She was terrified but tried her best to use it to sound angrier than she was scared.“I’m afraid we can’t do that. But there’s a lot that people want from you. Some want your head on a pike, some want to throw you down the mountain, and some might want to take you home for a bit. I guess you could say we just want to have a bit of fun with you.”She winced when he tugged on the chain that connected her mantle. “That’s the most unusual way to have fun. Haven’t any of you learned to read or play friendlier games?” She certainly wouldn’t have any fun with any of those options, especially since all of them were humiliating and quite likely to end up in death.“It gets quite boring in the mountains. Games can only get us so far. And with you pesky missionaries around, we like to use you for some different types of amusement.”Loke realized what was really happening between the villagers and the mountain people, but also understood that these people were very much mistaken in her identity. “I think you have things wrong. I’m not a missionary, and neither are my friends.”“No? Then why would you be in the mountains? Only missionaries and those villagers stupid enough to go looking for them venture this way.”“Why are you here? Why don’t you live with the villagers?” Loke needed to keep them distracted as long as she could if she had any hopes of staying alive.“Sorry hun, I asked you first.” He unclipped the chain to her mantle, which caused it to slide off her shoulders.“Fine. I’m not a missionary. I don’t agree with what they preach or how they aim to turn everyone to their god. I don’t even live in Kabra, let alone the villages at the base of the mountain.”“Your clothes are a bit different, but even if I were to believe you, you’d have to prove it.”He leaned in, mere inches from her face and Loke spat at him, causing him to recoil and close his eye. He yelled and swung to slap her but she tipped herself over and used her pinky to draw in the sand and calling on the spirit of time to aid her. The man seemed suspended for a few seconds, but it was enough time for her to roll to the side slightly. He stumbled forward when he regained movement and when he regained his balance he lurched towards her with a knife. An exhausted group of travelers had just entered the area and watched from when the man seemed to have paused. Noticing the shine from the knife, Dias threw a scalpel to deflect it before he could stab Loke.From her side, she glanced upward to see everyone running toward her. Blu started to untie her and help her up while Dias retrieved his scalpel and Magnar and Votan held the guy down. Luckily no one else dared to intervene.Loke sat up and rubbed her wrists and arms where the rope had been. “Thank you, everyone.”“Looks like we got here in time.” Magnar shoved the guy back on the ground as he tried to get up and held his foot on his shoulder.Votan handed her the mantle that was where she previously was kneeling and she started to put it back on. “What took you so long?”“It was a bit of a tough climb, you know. But this place isn’t very welcoming, let’s get back on the trail.” Magnar knew all of them had been pushed to their limits and they needed desperately to sleep and eat, but for their own safety, this wasn’t a place to linger.“We’ll just pick you off on the trail. We don’t like your kind and we don’t want you in our mountains.” The man was still trying to fight back.“I already told you, we’re not missionaries.” Loke unstrapped her book from Blu’s back.A crowd had been gathering around them and there were a lot of murmurs about who they were and what was going to happen.“Loke, do you know where your shoes are?” Magnar noticed her feet were scraped up and he couldn’t let her back on that trail without them.“Probably wherever they put all of my belongings. I’m not sure where that is, though.” Loke winced as she stood and brushed all the dirt from her knees and looked out around the group.Dias noticed an intricate design drawn in the sand where she ultimately moved to, but it seemed unfinished compared to the one that she must have used to stop him. If he hadn’t intervened, at least she seemed to have something up her sleeve, even if it was a last ditch effort.“People of the mountain, I understand your desire to keep your homeland safe from intruders, but I am asking that you believe me when I tell you all that we are not here to harm you. We are not here to convert you from whatever you already believe. I am seeking an ancient site and were just passing through the mountains. Please allow us to continue to travel.” Loke hoped pleading with them would at the very least allow them to leave in one piece without anyone being hurt any more.“You broke my son’s ribs! How can that not be harm?” One of the women called out from the crowd. Magnar raised his eyebrows surprised she’d put up that much of a fight.Loke bowed slightly. “I sincerely apologize, but I was defending myself as I was being abducted. Would you not do the same?”“If someone grabbed me, then it was my fate and I would have accepted it!” The woman called back.Fate… Loke realized what kind of people the mountain folk were. They were Biyeho all right, but the worst of them. These were the same as the followers of Tumben that feared them and fought against it. It was the same as Caax, but with the religious positions swapped. “But consider this. Was it also not your son’s fate to have his ribs broken?”The woman opened her mouth to argue but fell silent. She had no retort because she knew that if it were fated, than it were so.“Hey, Loke, what are you doing?” Magnar whispered from behind her.“Ever wonder what it would be like to be on the powerful side in Caax? Especially Teo? That’s what this town is. Teo if the Biyeho were taking the initiative.” Loke replied before she took a deep breath and addressed everyone once more. “I am Loke Aumoe, High Priestess of Holom, a small country far to the west. I serve the gods in all capacities and am seeking the ancient ritual platform of Kabra.”The crowd began to murmur once again in confusion. The man stopped fighting Magnar, his tone and entire body language changing. “You were a high priestess? Like, more than a regular priestess? I harassed and threatened a high priestess… I’m doomed.”Loke turned and looked down at the man. “Why would you be doomed? I have not requested punishment for you.”“What I did, it’s taboo. We’re all doomed. All of us. The god of the mountain will no longer support us.” Magnar let the man loose and he prostrated himself in front of Loke. “Please, could you forgive us?”Loke looked at the others. Magnar looked indifferent, Votan shook his head, Dias was as hard to read as ever, and Blu looked sympathetic, but also conflicted. “I need my things. And I want to speak to whoever is in charge around here. Also, if possible, I want to see the town’s offering shrine.” Loke surprised herself as she found her confidence and was able to survive this ordeal as long as she had.The man scrambled up and ran into the crowd. The crowd didn’t really disperse, but they talked amongst themselves with great fervor and a few people came up to kowtow and apologize to Loke.“I’m surprised you’re letting them prostrate before you. I thought you didn’t like that sort of thing?” Magnar watched person after person come and apologize.“I don’t. It is really uncomfortable for me right now, but sometimes one must do things they aren’t comfortable with doing to proceed forward.” It was a phrase Loke was told once from someone, though she wasn’t sure where she had heard it or when but it was something she would recall when she needed motivation.The man returned with her shoes and jewelry and handed them back to her. “Again, we’re really sorry. I can take you to our governor.”“Thank you.” Loke put her shoes on and followed the man through the crowd and towards the back of town. She put her earrings back in and bracelets on as they walked. Magnar forced himself between the man and Loke while they walked, keeping him away from her.The man didn’t say much as they walked through the depths of the mountain. Votan was looking around at the area, assessing how he could maneuver if he needed to. Blu was noticing Dias was more silent than normal and seemed to be exhausted. He also noticed all of Loke’s cuts, scrapes, and bruises and hoped they would have some time to take care of those.“This is the governor’s place. He doesn’t like strangers, so good luck.” The man showed them to the door and ran off.“I don’t like this, let’s just go. We can figure something out later. Even this guy just ran away.” Magnar watched the man leave them outside the door to what was supposed to be the Governor.“No, we’ll meet with him.” Loke pushed past Magnar and knocked on the door.Loke knocked a series of times before someone finally opened the door. A burly man with a busy beard of a mix of reddish orange and grey stood before them. A small bird was perched on his shoulder and he spoke with a booming voice.“Who dares disturb the governor at this hour?”“Please pardon the intrusion, but we are a group of travelers seeking old religious sites and had been involuntarily brought to your city by some of the citizens. I am a high priestess of Holom and was wondering how Biyeho practices were continuing in other places.” Loke smiled, though it biting and forced.Magnar offered a partial nod. She was still speaking confidently as she had done with the crowd. They just needed to make sure they wouldn’t have to fight for their lives.“So, you’re saying that someone of the mountains just up and brought you here? Not from Holom, I assume.” His voice was still loud but less threatening.“No sir. We were traveling up the mountain trail in search of a ritual platform. To be honest, a group of men grabbed me from behind and brought me here against my will. My friends came to find me when they noticed I had disappeared.” Loke’s never wavered.“That is quite an accusation. Do you always go to someone’s home and accuse them of crimes?” The bird squawked from the man’s shoulder to further complain about the interruption.“No, but I do take great offense on the behalf of the gods when crimes are committed against me.” Offended was the tamest of adjectives Loke could think of in regards to how she was feeling. Ignoring that she was tired and hungry, she was irate and disheartened for a start.The man stood silent for a moment. He knew the importance of keeping the gods’ good graces and he understood this girl was well versed in the standards of their religion. He didn’t initially believe she could possibly a high priestess since she looked quite young, but he was starting to believe that she might be who she said she was. “I’ll talk with the girl. The rest of you need to wait outside.”“Whoa, no way.” Magnar stepped forward in protest. “After what happened earlier, I can’t say we’ll trust you with her alone.”“Fine. She can bring one other. But it won’t be you. The small boy. Him. He can come.” The man pointed at Blu.Magnar stepped out of the way and let Blu pass. Magnar would have rather it been him, but he knew she trusted Blu greatly, so he was fine leaving her in his hands. Blu and Loke entered the home carved into the cavern wall and the other three were left in the street. They all took the opportunity to just sit and rest since they didn’t know how long Loke and Blu were going to be inside.Inside, the man led them down a long corridor that went further into the mountain. At the end, he opened a door that was a small room with a shrine to the mountain god. He tossed a few cushions onto the floor and asked them to sit.The governor sat and crossed his own arms, critically examining Loke and Blu. “So, you’re a high priestess all the way from Holom.”“Yes.” Loke confirmed.“You seem rather young. How old are you?”Blu looked at Loke. He hadn’t actually known how old she was, but when she was behaving like a priestess, she seemed a lot older, but other times she seemed like she might not be much older than him.“Twenty four. I became a priestess at ten and a high priestess at sixteen.” Loke was still on edge but tried to put up a confident front.“Well, isn’t that just great!” The man’s demeanor changed and he began to smile and spoke quite lightheartedly.“Excuse me?” Loke was confused. She could tell Blu wasn’t sure what happened either.“All of us in the mountains, we don’t have a priest or priestess, so it’s such a blessing for you to visit us!” The man was grinning widely.“I’m honored?” Loke watched the bird flying around over the governor’s head.“Yes! Be honored! Let us honor you! You were looking for the platform, right? I can show that to you. We keep a good guard on it. Those missionaries from the villages like to come and raid and destroy stuff, so we like to nip it in the bud. Those Tumben people are nothing but trouble.”“I’m sure not all of…” Loke was cut off by a non-jovial, booming voice.“ALL OF THEM.”Loke knew she had to tread a bit lighter. As much as it pained her, she realized that he was no different than Palen in respect to how he saw the other major religion. “About the platform, is it nearby?”“It’s about three mountains over to the north. You guys did pretty good to get this far, actually. But, if we’re going to show you the platform, we want some help from you.”“I can do what I am able.” Loke had a feeling they wanted a ritual. In Holom, requesting a ceremony or ritual from a high priest or priestess was very expensive and even then they were generally permitted to accept or decline based on the service. If it was the same in other countries, then they knew to ask for her favor in exchange for the things she was asking for. Loke didn’t always think it was a fair trade, but it was a trade nonetheless.The governor seemed satisfied that things were going to go his way. “No one’s performed on that platform in a few hundred years. I think everyone would be real excited to see the real thing. Especially from someone like you.”Loke knew it was a ritual for sure. She was almost afraid to know what type of ritual he wanted but decided to spearhead the topic. “I’m happy to perform a ritual, but I ask that I be given the liberty to choose the ritual. Of course I would need some time and freedom to learn about your mountain cave towns so that I can make the most proper of offerings.”The large man crossed his arms and thought for a moment. “Deal. Tonight you guys can stay here. We’ll arrange some escorts for you and you can head out tomorrow. It will take a few days to get there anyway.”“That’s quite kind of you, governor.” Loke politely bowed her head.“Bixun. Call me Bixun.”“Then, Bixun, thank you. May I spend a moment looking at your shrine? It’s quite ornate.” Loke waited for acknowledgement before going to look at the shrine. Blu watched her and was having a hard time of evaluating her thoughts as her expression changed a number of times. When she was finished, she returned to Blu and Bixun. “I’m sure my friends are quite exhausted. We would like to rest as soon as possible.”“Sure thing.” Bixun smiled and popped up. He cheerfully strode down the hallway and opened the door for Loke to round everyone up.Once Bixun gave them rooms, Magnar insisted to stay with Loke for the night and wouldn’t allow for her protest. She was quite content to stay with Blu as they often did when they split, but she hadn’t seen him quite as adamant about something like this so she gave up the argument.“Look, Loke, I wanted to apologize. I should have let you help us. This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t force you to rest.”Though Loke and Magnar argued often, she didn’t recall such a sincere apology from him before. But she didn’t blame him for this situation at all. “Don’t blame yourself. If it wasn’t then, they would have plucked any one of us out later. Or worse and just killed us off.”“Still, I…” Despite Loke’s assertions, Magnar still blamed himself.“Stop. We have bigger problems anyway. Bixun is actually the happy go lucky type, but his mindset is dangerous.” Loke sat on the bed and leaned against the wall.“What do you mean?” Happy go lucky wasn’t the first impression Magnar got from Bixun, but he hadn’t been in the room for the conversation with Loke and Blu.“He has the same mentality as Palen. He’d rather eliminate all Tumben to return Biyeho to glory. They don’t just make offerings to the mountain god here for protection. Their shrine clearly shows animal sacrifices. That in itself isn’t unusual, though usually rare and often for something rather big. I don’t like offering a life unless it’s necessary, but they seem to do it frequently. I fear that they’re worshiping something malevolent.” If Loke hadn’t been so tired, she’d have been pacing instead of resting.Magnar had been confused about Bixun’s temperament, though now he seemed understand Loke’s concern. “Malevolent?”“Well, the gods themselves aren’t so bad, but the intentions to ask for their favor could be. From the other items on the altar that I saw, it looked like it could have been an offering for power instead of war. But as everyone generally knows, power can be easily corrupted.”“So they’re asking the god of power for strength to kick out missionaries and Tumben in general?” Magnar wanted to make sure he understood her long winded explanations.Loke nodded. “Essentially. Of course he wants a ritual from me in exchange for passage to the platform and temple.”Magnar furrowed his brow. “You’re not going to support him in that, are you?”“Yes for a ritual but no for helping him eliminate people for no good reason. I was able to have him agree that I could choose the type of ritual. I can appease them by making a sacrifice to the god of power, but I do plan on asking for strength for differing reasons. However, since they have shed so much blood in return, I will probably need to offer something significant.” Loke sighed wondering what could even compare.“Sorry, but I’m not going to let you pull out my soul. Dias got lucky, but I would rather not take that chance.”“I had no intentions on asking you or anyone else in the group. I need to take some time to consider what would be adequate and I would like to evaluate the platform itself. Was your push to stay with me tonight explicitly to have this conversation?” Loke wondered what his motivations had been since he generally was the one that encouraged Blu to stay with her.Magnar flopped back on his own bed and stared at the ceiling. “No, but I do like to know what you’re planning. Look, after what happened earlier, I got concerned and wanted to make sure I was with you in case someone tried something else. That’s all.”Blu tapped on the door and poked into the room. “I was worried about Loke’s cuts. Is it ok if I bandage them up?”“Where’s Dias?” Loke slid forward and sat on the edge of her bed.“Sleeping. He was out as soon as he got into bed.”Magnar glanced at Blu but mostly still stared at the ceiling. “He did a lot for us today, I’m actually surprised he lasted that long.”“What happened with Dias?” Loke didn’t have any qualms about Blu cleaning her wounds as Dias had left that duty to Blu for some time now.“He generated a lot of light for us to find the cave to find you. He hadn’t used that power like that before, so I guess he was pretty worn out. His glowing stopped at some point too.” Magnar’s voice trailed as he struggled to stay awake.“I had no idea.” Loke winced as Blu cleaned her cuts.“I don’t think he would have wanted you to worry about him.” Blu assured her as he cleaned the dirt from the scrapes on her knees.“I must give him my thanks tomorrow. All of you. Truly, I can’t thank you enough.” She felt deep gratitude for all of them as she shuttered to think what might have happened to her if they hadn’t arrived when they did.By the time Blu finished, Magnar was already asleep and Loke had more bandages showing on her than skin. The antiseptic burned and some of her scratches were itchy, but she resisted and fought the urge to scratch as she resigned to get some sleep for herself.It took nearly a week, but Bixun himself got them to the ritual platform. The group learned a lot about the mountain cave towns and the hatred and rationale they used for their hatred of the Tumben. Loke couldn’t agree with it, but understood what could push someone to this point as she had been seeing it used against the Biyeho in Caax.The platform itself was built into the side of the mountain and there was valley below it that worshipers could easily see the platform during a ritual. The platform itself was in rather good condition, considering the weather it was exposed to and the age of the stone. She expected far more erosion, but many of the intricate details that symbolized the various gods that were carved around the edge were quite visible. Bixun remained in the valley while Loke looked around the platform and the temple with the others. The temple door was completely sealed and there weren’t any indicators on how to open the door. Unlike the previous temple, there were no symbols for any spirits that she could see. While she could perform without the purification temple, at an important and historic site like this, she would rather have access to one than have to prepare in the open like she had to in Holom. Loke was struggling to find anything else of significance at the site and was starting to lose her patience. In her desperation, she yelled out in the ancient language for the door to “just open already” and a slight rumble trickled through the mountain and the door slowly dropped into the ground.“That was weird.” Votan was a little hesitant to follow the rest of them inside since the door opened on its own, but didn’t want to be left behind.The inside was similar to the temple in Nono. It was a straightforward pathway that wound around itself to the back of the temple where a final door opened to a larger room. Loke stepped into the room but the door dropped from the ceiling as soon as she crossed the threshold, sealing her off from the others. They pounded on the stone and Blu repeated what she said outside the temple, but there was no reaction. Loke couldn’t hear them on the other side, but after she turned to look inside the room, she fell to her knees. From the hall it looked like an empty room with the usual basins and work table, but as she was now trapped inside, the room revealed its true nature. Three of the walls were filled to the ceiling with ancient texts and scrolls. The preparation platform was still there with the basins and the wall where the door was had another elaborate mural that she wished Blu could come interpret. She didn’t have the vision that he did see past the general geometric designs.As she moved along the walls and looked at various books along the way, she came to a podium with a scroll that was draped over it. She set the book she was leafing through down, but was still holding a scroll she wanted to look at and made her way to the platform. The writing was definitely ancient and Loke was starting to have a strange feeling that she was being overwhelmed. She couldn’t entirely explain what she was feeling in words, but it felt like the entire contents of this hidden library were being poured into her mind. She dropped to the floor and went into a daze. To those trapped on the outside, it had only been a few moments when the door randomly reopened and they ran into the empty room. The books that lined three walls were gone, the platform with the scroll had vanished and the mural was suddenly dull and barely visible. Magnar found Loke across the room in convulsions and called Dias over to help him with her. Dias angled her away from him and gently held her still, her body trying to shake through his firm grasp. When she finally stopped, she opened her eyes and briefly was ill before every word she tried to say was completely unintelligible. Magnar recognized that it sounded like words she would have said if she was drunk.“This room isn’t toxic or something is it?” Votan wandered around the room, but saw only stones and basins and the platform table. Nothing smelled out of sorts. It smelled musty like he would have expected an old place to smell.“No. I don’t think so.” Blu was looking at the mural. “This room shows itself to who it wants to. I don’t know what this means, but it looks like a history of the world or something. Look, all these gods and the world below it. And then something happens and the world is in ruins. The door cuts some of it away, but at the end it looks like things are going good again.”Votan gave Blu a suspicious look. “I don’t see any of that. Did you get messed up too?”“Votan, he seems to be given some sort of talent to decipher murals. I suspect him figuring out what that signpost said was part of this.” Dias had Loke lay on her side.“That doesn’t explain why miss high and mighty priestess is puking and saying weird stuff.” Votan didn’t understand anything that was happening. He was afraid they were being poisoned or if he might start hallucinating.Loke started to come around and pushed herself up despite Dias’ protests and sat awkwardly. Her words were mixed language, the common language spilling into the ancient until she was forming sentences they could understand. “…great history of the gods, the past. That is why I am currently unwell. Thank you for your concern.”She started coughing again and Magnar handed her a canteen. “Now, all that one more time. I think we missed a bunch.”“Again? My head hurts. But fine. This room has an illusionary barrier. It’s true form isn’t what you see. But what I saw is a grand library full of more information than a single person could possibly contain.” Loke could see the stone room fading in and out with the library. “Blu is right about the mural. It does depict the gods’ creation and all that they are guardian to. They fought for power many times, affecting the world. This is the first temple and ritual platform, built to honor the great history of the gods and the past.”“You can see the mural?” Blu was relieved she was coherent and excited she might be able to see what he saw, though he was quite concerned about her health.Loke shook her head. “No, not as well as you can. But I trust what you see as you’ve read off the history accurately.”“So, what really happened? You wandered in to this big fancy library only you can see and suddenly you're speaking in some old, dead language?” Magnar wasn’t sure why, but he assumed that since he’d spent enough time with Loke, he was now become her translator for simplicity sake. He debated adding it to his contract.“Close, Magnar, you’re surprisingly close. The original scroll written by the god of knowledge himself was there, on a pedestal. I barely read any of it. I shouldn’t have been able to actually understand it. But for some reason, I feel like I know everything that’s in all the books in this room.”“Alright. But what’s that scroll in your hand?” Magnar pointed at the small scroll she still was gripping onto. It was the only physical thing he saw that gave her tale any credibility.Loke looked down and noticed she must have pulled it from through the illusionary barrier with her. She unraveled part of it and glanced over the words. Never before had the ancient words been such a simple read. She often struggled with ciphers to fully understand texts, but this was clear as something written today. “It’s a full explanation to where all of the worship and offering sites were originally to be constructed. All of them. It also lists the order they were built and which would have spirits connected to it.”“Seems like the god of knowledge left you a gift.” Dias looked around the room a little disappointed he couldn’t see what she saw. It sounded like quite a sight.“Even though I’m reading this for the first time, I feel like a memory I’ve only just recalled.” Loke couldn’t make much sense of it and stared at the words on the scroll.Blu tried to understand Dias’s comment with how it related to Loke’s descriptions. “Does that mean she’s like Dias? Given the power of a god?”Dias thought about Blu’s question but before he could verbalize his opinion, he heard voices coming down the corridor. Everyone rushed to hide against the mural wall beside the door. Magnar helped Loke to her feet as she was unsteady and still mostly unwell.Through the door, a woman obviously prepared for battle entered with two younger people. They didn’t seem concerned that this place was special, or at least the boy didn’t. He seemed rather content to poke around. The girl seemed to have some sensibilities and yelled at him to behave as this was once someone’s holy place. The soldier said nothing but chased them both in. She had quite an intimidating presence about her, despite her desperation to wrangle the youths. Given her eye patch and facial scar, they knew she’d been through rough places and none of them wanted to mess with her. Carefully they slipped through door and made it out of the chamber, one by one. Votan, the last to leave the room found himself distracted by the young girl and hesitated. Dias grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him into the hallway, causing the soldier to turn and look at where they were, but no one was there to be found. Magnar picked Loke up and hung her over his shoulder as they ran toward the entrance. Loke’s stomach wasn’t appreciative of being jostled, but she held it together until they made it outside.“That girl was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I need to go back in there! She’s my destiny!” Votan stared down the dark hallway.“Don’t be hasty, Votan. We don’t know who they are or what they were doing there. And that soldier didn’t look like anyone we need to piss off. It looks like Bixun is still in the valley. Magnar, are you alright to carry Loke back to the last cavern we visited?” Dias wondered how they got in with Bixun milling about.“I can walk myself.” Being carried was the last thing Loke wanted right now.Magnar refused her declaration. “You’re in no condition to walk through the mountains. You can barely stand up. Drink more water. Dias, can you do something about this?”Dias looked over Loke as she glared back at him. “I don’t think so. There’s nothing physically wrong with her. But we should at least rendezvous with Bixun and get her somewhere to rest.”Votan raised a hand to make a suggestion. “We can rest here and wait for my goddess to return!”“Sorry Votan, we’re not going to wait. But given our situation, I would refrain from declaring someone a goddess, even if you find yourself enamored.” Dias didn’t know how much longer they would be inside and wanted to get somewhere protected quickly.“Wait, Dias. We could hide here and wait until they leave so I could just rest in there. I can prepare for the ceremony here as well. As long as someone brings the items I need, then it won’t be a problem, right?” Loke was starting to feel better but was still unstable.“And what are we going to do if those three come back and you have to keep silent?” Magnar crossed his arms. He didn’t think she was in any condition for a ceremony, let alone staying in a creepy temple where doors randomly shut on people.“I think Loke’s idea isn’t that bad. If someone stays with her to make sure she’s alright, then the rest of us can be her hands and feet.” Blu thought her ideas often worked, even if they seemed unconventional.Votan jumped up and raised both hands. “I’ll stay with her!”“Calm down. I’ll stay. It’s my job.” Magnar hoped this wasn’t going to be a recurring theme with her.“Loke, how long do you think you’ll need to prepare?” Dias still didn’t like the idea, but with Magnar with her, he assumed everything would be fine. They had been traveling around the longest together of the entire group.“Probably about four days. Two to process everything that is overwhelming my brain, one to review the ceremony, and one for purification, which would lead into the ceremony at sundown. I want the red of the sky to coincide with the pinnacle of the ceremony.” Loke evaluation was broken by her fighting her body from trying to be sick again and several deep breaths to let her stomach settle.“Four days… that feels like a long time.” Dias was even more concerned about the time frame since it took longer to reach this place than they all expected, but somewhat surprised she gave herself two days for recovery.“I’ll bring you food every day! The last village wasn’t far. And I can bring whatever you need.” Blu was quite eager to please her.Dias submitted to the notion and finally accepted this was going to be the end of the debate. “What items will you need?”“Tomorrow. I’ll have a detailed list tomorrow morning.” Loke felt relieved.“They’re coming back.” Magnar heard the boy’s voice echoing from the hall and covered Votan’s mouth, knowing he was going to try and get the girl’s attention. They had been off to the side of the entrance in an alcove hidden from view and he thought that this was the best opportunity they had so far to learn something about the strangers.“I don’t know why you have to play around all the time, Balan. This was a really important place once, right Cam?” The girl Votan adored was complaining about the boy.The soldier’s face generally kept a neutral expression, though her eye seemed to betray her impatience. “Supposedly this was the original temple for the gods of the old religion.”“See? Cam grew up here, she knows all about this place. You can’t just go bouncing through. What if you broke something?” The girl was still lecturing the boy.The boy shrugged off the scolding “We’d just pay them to fix it. You’re so uptight, Colel. Just relax sometime.”“I’m afraid I need to agree with Colel in this instance. These are priceless artifacts and locations that cannot be replaced. I do advise that you take caution inside historic places like this.” The soldier, Cam gently nudged them both towards the entrance.“Not you too, Cam…” The boy, Balan looked dejected.Cam smirked at Balan. “Let’s go back to the village. I hear something big is going to happen around here soon.”“Something big? What do you mean, Cam? Don’t the mountain people usually keep to themselves to not draw attention as a safety measure?” Colel wasn’t sure what Cam was talking about even though they were rarely separated.“There’s a rumor going around that there’s a priest around that is going to bless the town. You’ve never seen such things, right? Not to mention it seems that someone was inside the temple very recently, so it could have been them.” Cam was glad they were now listening instead of arguing.Balan made a disgusted face. “Yeah, that was gross. But are Biyeho blessings any different than what the church does?”“Much different, Balan. You couldn’t even begin to compare the methods.” Cam continued to explain the differences in the methods of the religions as they walked off.Once they were out of view, Votan dropped to his knees. “My destiny… Colel… I need to meet her.”Blu noticed Loke looking distressed. “What’s wrong, Loke?”“How could she have let non-biyeho into such a sacred place?” She let out a string of gibberish and leaned against the wall, still in shock.“Is she going to be alright?” Blu asked.Magnar shrugged. “I can only imagine she’ll have to somehow sanctify this place before she can comfortably use it for whatever she needs. I’ll get her to snap out of it somehow. You should meet up with Bixun and get back to the village before it gets late. I’ll take care of our precious priestess.”“Take care. We’ll keep one canteen. Keep the rest for tonight and here are a few rations. I’m afraid it isn’t much for tonight but we will return in the morning. I’ll also see if Bixun knows anything about these people as well.”“Thanks Dias. And if you see those people in town, see if you can learn something else that might be helpful. Just don’t let Votan near the girl.” Magnar was grateful that Dias had been traveling along. He found him the most reliable and wondered if it was just age or experience.Votan protested Magnar’s demands. “Hey! I have to approach her! She needs to know that we’re destined for each other!”Magnar laughed at Votan’s sudden personality shift from indifferent and bored to love struck. “And suddenly Votan’s a believer in fate. Have a safe trip back. Loke, snap out of it, we’re going back inside. You wanna close this door behind us?”Loke shook her head and came back to the present to wave the others off and close the door behind them as they entered the temple proper. “Magnar, what do you think of me?”“Huh? That’s a rather sudden question. What are you getting at?” He rarely heard her care about anyone’s opinions about her personally, but her question was worded in a way he had to be careful how he proceeded.“Like, I know Votan doesn’t care much for me. He thinks I’m strange. Do you think the same? Am I just a provider of money to you?”Magnar noticed she was probably worried but to him she just looked generally sad. “Okay, you’re not being yourself at all. Let’s get you to that room and you can dump all your personal concerns you want at me, alright? I think all that stuff you learned today is making you a bit self critical.”Loke grumbled but staggered along briefly until she passed out. Magnar carried her rest of the way and propped her upright against the preparation platform in case she got sick again. He was relieved he avoided her strange line of questioning, but as he was working on a map, he kept finding himself distracted with her question and wondered how he would actually answer her.In the village Dias had given a lot of thought about the others in the temple. Bixun said he hadn’t noticed them. The woman seemed to be quite a seasoned soldier, so she had to have known they were there yet she said nothing. Though they kept mostly quiet and somewhat hidden, a soldier should have noticed them instantly. There was something also strange about the way the girl and boy spoke about religion. It felt a little awkward for children that grew up as Tumben to ask questions in the way they did. Also, the fact they were in this cavern village to begin with was a mystery given Bixun’s stance against the Tumben. Even if that soldier was from here and Biyeho, he wouldn't have allowed the Tumben children to set foot in the caverns, let alone remain. After what happened with Loke, he was sure of that.For now, Dias had to look out for that suspicious group in the village and keep Votan from declaring his love for a stranger. He rarely had to worry about Blu but he was also concerned about Loke. She hadn't replied to him on whether or not it was something like what he experienced in Nono, but whatever happened to her, it was no doubt significant. The spot under her left eye had gotten significantly more prominent, even in the dimly lit chamber."Blu, Votan. We need to get some rest, I'm sure Loke will have us trying to get some unusual items. Votan, do not leave this room or you might find yourself missing internal organs. If that girl is really your destiny, she will come to you in time.” Dias locked the door and put the key in his pocketVotan scoffed. “I’d rather go find Colel. She’s perfect in every way.”“But you don’t know anything about her.” Blu usually avoided most conversations but was already tired of Votan swooning over a stranger.“I know in my heart that we’re meant to be.” Having been locked into the room, Votan gave up and went to bed. At the very least he could close his eyes and try and dream about his happy life to be.Blu sat on his makeshift bed and fiddled with some pellets for his gun. Dias knew Blu was worried since he tended to fidget when he had concerns.“Worried about Loke?” Dias laid out his bed next to Blu’s.Blu nodded. “I never know what she’s thinking about but I think she might be pushing herself too hard. I feel like we should have stayed with her in case she gets really sick.”“Magnar is with her. I’m sure if it becomes a problem he’ll send for us.” Dias tried to offer Blu a comforting smile, but Blu wasn’t even looking at him.Votan rolled onto his side and looked at the other two. “Why did you guys tag along anyway? What she did in Nono was interesting, but is she really special?”Blu glanced at Votan before focusing on the pellets again. “I wanted a way out of Teo. We’ve gotten somewhat closer while we traveled. She’s patient and kind to me. If I had family, I’d have liked Loke to have been part of it. Even though Magnar didn’t trust me at first, he’s also come to rely on me, especially with Loke.” He didn’t really want to have to pour his heart out to someone like Votan, but he meant every word. “Why are you still here? You don’t seem to believe in her mission or even actually like her.”“Most of that is true. I don’t hate her and I don’t understand the point of anything. I’m just a punk from the streets that will do anything for a meal and a safe place to sleep. If that means I’m tagging along with you guys, then that’s what it is. What about you, Dias?”Dias noticed Blu’s brow furrow at Votan’s answer and while he was a little disappointed in Votan’s answer, he wasn’t surprised. In essence, Blu was the same, though leaving Teo would have been in Blu’s best interests for his safety. “When I met Loke, Magnar, and Blu in the outpost in Nich, I had been wandering the country on my own. This group had a rather interesting dynamic and a propensity for injuries, so I joined them as they would likely need my services. Blu is rather interested in helping me and is quite the student.” He didn’t mention his mounting curiosity and suspicions about Loke, but that wasn’t important for this conversation.Blu flushed red. It was the first genuine compliment he’d heard from Dias about him and he wasn’t sure how to respond besides pretending he didn’t hear it.“And the only one actually getting paid to be here is Magnar?” Votan wondered if he could somehow get some money out of her too.Dias pretended he didn’t notice Blu’s embarrassment and nodded at Votan. “That is correct. Although, I’m fairly certain all of our lodging and supplies to this date have entirely funded by Loke. In essence, I suppose you could say she has been paying all of us. As far as her contract with Magnar, I’ve not personally seen it, but it does seem substantial.”“Do you think he’d leave if she didn’t have enough money to pay him?” Blu knew they argued about his fees often, but hoped he wouldn’t be so petty as to abandon her in the middle of a strange place.Dias chuckled. “No, not at all. I’d honestly be surprised if he accepts more than he needs, despite the tab.”Blu looked up at Dias. He was relieved as he hoped Magnar wouldn’t leave, but confused as to what made Dias so confident. “Why are you so sure about it?”Dias smiled and held a finger to his lips as to make sure it was a secret. “Because he’s in love with her.” His expression hardened as he shot a glance to Votan. “But not in the same superficial lust sort of way Votan has expressed towards that girl.”“Really?” Blu had his doubts but generally trusted Dias. “Did he tell you that?”Dias laughed again. “No, he’d deny it.”“I don’t think I agree with you either, Dias.” Votan put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. “If someone dumped a hot pot of water on me, there’s no way I could even think about liking that person.”Blu ignored Votan and gave his attention to Dias. “Do you think she loves him too?”“That is a more curious question. She relies on him and has great trust in him, there’s no question to that. She dotes on you and has great consideration for other people at her own expense. It will be interesting to see what fate has in store for them both, whether it is together or apart. But right now I think she’s giving all of her love to the Biyeho people.” Dias wondered if either of them would survive a relationship together, despite either of their actual feelings.“I hope she’s feeling better.” Blu put his pellets aside and tried to get comfortable.“We’ll check on them in the morning.” Dias stared at the ceiling in darkness while Votan snored and he heard Blu’s breathing steady into a sleeping rhythm. He needed to make sure she ate, even if it was bland food. He hoped the villagers would be as generous with supplies as they were with bedding.By the time Magnar woke in the morning, Loke was running from one side of the room to the other. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around and saw what he assumed she told them about the day before. Walls full of books and an intricate geometric mural were plain as the sun in the sky. The room was closed to the outer corridor and she was haphazardly looking through books and scrolls at a frantic pace. He’d never seen her so active. Usually she had piles of books and papers around her, but this was frantic.“Good morning? I guess you’re feeling better. But why is this room now a library?”“Magnar! I figured out a way to let others see through the barrier. Isn’t this place fantastic? There are some of the oldest texts ever written in here! Even these were supposedly seeds harvested by the first vessel for the god of agriculture! She was a marvelous goddess. Here, take some!” She dropped seeds into the palm of his hand before she seemingly bounced back towards another shelf.Magnar took the seeds which looked remarkable for as old as they were and doubted he could just take these. He watched Loke with great confusion. “Are you sure you’re alright?”Loke grinned, not being able to contain her excitement. “I’ve never felt better! Everything is so clear! And I understand more than my research could have ever taught me!""So, when you're done with this little trip around the world, you're going to become a proper queen?" Magnar stretched his arms over his head. He expected her to be mad about bringing it up but they were quite isolated here that he hoped she wouldn’t care."Don't be so hasty. I've only learned that I can access all this rich history! I still also need to prove to Edras without argument that all of this is real." Loke’s excitement faded slightly, but wasn’t completely dampened.Magnar pointed to the scroll Loke had lying next to her book. "Isn't that scroll good enough?""I hope so. It was what I planned on showing him. But I can't worry about all that right now. I have a performance to prepare for."Magnar sat back and watched Loke make her list and go through cycles of excitement and deep thought. He'd been traveling with her for some time and seen her in a lot of different environments and situations, but she was a completely different person. He noticed the marking on her face changed as well, but didn't want to bring it up. He couldn't help but believe she was given a god's powers as Dias suggested. Unfortunately, he didn’t think hers wasn't nearly as useful as Dias's powers. He thought about what the Shaman in Nakbe had told him to keep from her but he couldn’t seem to remember what it was. He knew it was important and he wondered why he struggled to recall it.At some point she raised the paper she had been writing on and made an exclamation that she was finished and ran to the door. "I'm sure they're coming for this, we should greet them. And perhaps they've brought something to eat. I'm quite famished after all of that."Magnar simply followed along, but couldn't shake his concerns about her sudden perkiness. It reminded him of how cheerful Winter seemed to be at all times but it was unusual for Loke. Somehow Loke had remarkable timing. As she got the front door to the temple open, their three traveling companions were just approaching."Loke! You're alright! We brought you two meals for today!" Blu had been worrying about Loke all night and seeing her actually smiling at them lifted a weight from his shoulders.Loke patted Blu on the head. "Thank you. I can't wait to eat it. Dias, this is the list.” She handed a paper to Dias. “Most of it is mundane. You know, most of typical herbs and oils. But there's a particular mountain beast that would be best for this. If you can somehow get me one without having it lose too much blood, I would be much obliged. If not, something of decent size that might bleed a lot. Though, if you can somehow get them to me knocked out but still alive, that would be the most suitable."Dias took the list and looked it over. It seemed similar to what she used before. He assumed the beast would be taking the part of a sacrifice. All of them couldn't help but notice her extreme hyperactivity. "Have you recovered fully?""I don't think so, no. But I'm well enough to start in case I take a bit of a turn. We'll stay on the time table I mentioned yesterday. And take your time with the list." Loke didn't bother to wait for any words of parting before she trotted back down the hall. The door started to rumble and Magnar jumped over the threshold before it closed him out. He managed to wave before it sealed them inside once again.Back in the open room, the basket of food was on the platform but Loke was huddled under the table, shivering but sweating. Magnar rushed to her and used the cloth that covered the food to cover her. It didn't really cover much at all. "You were fine thirty seconds ago, what happened?"Loke handed him a thin book. He couldn't read any of it, but she pushed her finger into it and flipped open to a page she had written notes in."You translated this?" He didn't really wait for her to confirm it as he started reading aloud. "Be forewarned, anyone that has been chosen to read the writing of the gods will undergo many trials of body, mind, and spirit. Should one succumb to any of the ailments, that individual will have been deemed unworthy of the knowledge granted to them and they will perish. Should they persevere and survive their trials, they will be gifted with eternal knowledge of what they had been privy to." He could see she was fading out of consciousness. He took one of the newly filled canteens and poured a little water into her mouth. "If this is what's going on with you, then there's no better person to get through this trial. You don't want to lose everything you've learned, right? Stay awake. Stay with me."Loke’s fever was high but Magnar held her every time she had a shivering bout. He flipped through the book to see if there were any more notes, but he didn't find any. In desperation, he grabbed her massive missive and started to flip through it, seeing if there was anything he could do in this situation to help her along, but found many of the pages inside to be blank with occasional notes in the margins. He'd seen her study this book cover to cover and it always had something in it, yet everything was blank except for her notes and extra pages that were tucked in the back. She had detailed their journey quite a bit and he probably shouldn't have read too much of it, but felt renewed when he saw a passage of how grateful she was towards him and how glad she had been to have selected him for the journey. He noticed her fading and leaned over and shook her to try and jostle her back to consciousness. Her hand fell onto one of the blank pages and it filled with words and diagrams. He carefully lifted her hand from it and everything had vanished. Was this book like this all along? She never allowed anyone else to look inside. Magnar wondered if she even knew it was full of blank pages and had this talent all along.Loke slid down onto her side and her breathing fell shallow. He picked her up and placed her on the table and was frantic to try and figure out how to help her. He wished Dias was here, or even Blu with what little Dias had taught him since it was more than he ever knew. All he could remember was his mother’s shallow breathing when she was dying and he felt just as helpless as he did then."Hey, am I an offering? Have you decided that I should just become an offering to the gods? Am I such a burden?" Loke’s eyes barely opened but he could see they weren’t focused on him at all."You're delirious from the fever. You're not an offering. And though you're a bit troublesome, but you're not a burden. And Votan's stupid to think you're strange." Magnar blurted the last part unexpectedly. He’d still been mulling over her question from the day before and he often got caught on her analysis of how Votan perceived her."That's nice. But why have you laid me here like an offering?" Her words were slow and quiet, but Magnar was relieved to hear them. They sounded much closer to her true self than before."I'll take you down from there. But let me find a good spot-"Loke cut him off and lazily reached a hand out to him. "No, join me. We can both be offerings for a better world." It was clear she still hadn't completely returned to her senses.Magnar didn't doubt she would sacrifice herself if it meant preserving everything she held dear, but he knew she wouldn't be so quick to take someone down with her. "I don't think the gods are quite ready to take that kind of offering. Let's get you away from this table." He picked her up and propped her up in the corner so she had less of a chance of falling over. Her fever was still high, but the shivering had stopped.Over the next several hours that Magnar sat beside Loke, she randomly would scream or sob or stare into nothingness. At some point her fever broke and he was comfortable enough with her condition to let her sleep. During one of her sobbing episodes, she had explained how to open the doors and Magnar took great care to remember it. He took her mantle from off her shoulders and covered her as best he could with it like a blanket and wandered the halls while she slept. He opened the front of the temple and had found another basket of food and some of the items she had requested. Dias was even so thoughtful to have supplied several blankets, which he wished they had earlier. Loke was still where he left her and since neither of them had eaten anything all day, Magnar ate a little of the mountain berry bread that Blu had brought them for breakfast and saved the rest for when Loke awoke. He looked at the little book she gave him earlier and looked over the notes again. He couldn't help but wonder if this was a trial for him too. She certainly was testing his patience and dedication to the job. Again her question from the night before echoed through his mind and he still wouldn't have a good answer for her if she asked him again.The next day was an even greater emotional event. He'd gotten a small preview of it with the screaming and sobbing, but as she moved between rage and guilt, he was starting to wonder if he could take the abuse anymore. He knew not to take anything she said to heart, but he also wondered if all of this wasn't the gods bringing her deepest thoughts to the surface. It was wearing him thin, but at least he'd been able to get her to eat when she wasn’t threatening to feed his soul to the god of permanent death.The third day Magnar wasn't awoken by hysterics or hyperactivity. He found himself under an extra blanket and Loke in the corner as he often saw her, book in front of her with papers all around. He noticed a fresh basket on the table with a new loaf of bread. He was apprehensive, especially after the previous two days, but, he still had hope she was back to herself. "You're up early.""Oh, Magnar! I know I shouldn't have, but I went outside and got breakfast and the last of the items I need for tomorrow. Minus the beast, of course. The bread is really good. You should try some." She smiled a little then went back to focusing on all of her papers.He knew the bread was delicious. He'd been eating it the past two days even though she refused food. The room around them had been tidied up and anything she might have thrown at him was back into place. The stone room illusion was gone and the cozy library surrounded them once more. He noticed a pedestal, but didn't see any scroll upon it. He wondered if she'd put that away too, or if it wasn't really there for her to read in the first place. The small book with her notes was still in his pocket and he looked over it once more before taking it over to her. "You gave me this two days ago. Did you need it?"She looked up and recognized the book. "No, it's all in here." She pointed to her head and smiled before looking down.Magnar noticed she was smiling a lot more and hoped it was a sign that the worst was behind them."Oh, before I forget. Before sundown I need to begin preparations for tomorrow's ritual. Dias should hopefully have the beast ready by midafternoon, so if you could help him place it on the platform outside, that would be really helpful. Once I begin, I can't talk to you, or really even acknowledge you. I also need to purify my body and mind, so I know it's a bother, but could you stay outside the room?""Not a problem. But what is that over there?" Magnar pointed to a pile on the platform that looked like off white rocks.Loke glanced up to see what Magnar was pointing at. "That's an offering to the god of deception. Because Bixun's methods go against the Biyeho teachings of kindness, I need a bit of assistance from that god. I still plan on performing the ritual for strength, but it won't for the reason he expects it. He's already offered so much blood to the god of strength that I need the god of deception to make it seem like a bigger offering than it really is to be heard. I need to fool both a god and a fool.""What happens if you don't?" Magnar hoped she wasn’t going to get them all murdered."Then, I suspect, Bixun will be rather irate. But I don't really know how educated he is to know if he's being deceived. I've chosen words far older than even I knew before coming here. This room itself is one big deception. Usually, I don't think I would even consider asking such a god for aid, but some instances may require going beyond ones comfort level."Magnar nearly lost his own composure and fought back tears in relief. He could tell she was through her ordeal and had come through victorious. "Loke, welcome back."She looked at him briefly confused since she expected Blu to be one to cry over her but realized what he was referring to and gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you. It's good to be back."Magnar cleared his throat and regained his composure. "So, all that stuff you said, how much of it did you mean?""Hm? The part about you being a pig headed money hog I might have meant. But to be honest, I'm not sure about the rest of it. I really don't remember what I said or exactly what happened. Much of it is blurry. I'm sorry if I caused you any problems." Loke remembered that particular insult as she was briefly lucid when she uttered it, but she was honest when she stated that she didn’t remember a lot of it."It's probably best that it's blurry." Though, he probably did come off as a pig headed money hog at times. Magnar wasn’t about to deny that.He shoved some papers out of the way and sat beside her, mostly just watching her work, but he occasionally asked her questions about the ritual along the way. He found a new respect for her and since he realized he never actually showed interest in her work, he figured now was as good a time as any to start.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Magnar paced outside the inner chamber while he waited for Loke. He’d already collected all the food baskets and extra items they no longer needed and returned them to Dias outside that morning. Now he was just biding his time. Shortly after midday, he heard voices through the stone door, of the main temple entrance. The voices sounded like the trio that interrupted them several days ago, but they didn’t seem to know how to open the door since last time Loke had already opened it. He knew Loke couldn’t be interrupted and if they somehow came in, he would need to handle that soldier. He wasn’t sure if he was even capable to do that. He pressed his ear against the wall to try and hear their words, but it was too muffled. He knew it was nearing time for the ritual to start and he didn’t want to open the door while they were there and have them interfere with Loke in any way.He leaned against the wall for some time, listening to the sounds of their voices and waiting for them to leave. He started to doze off when he heard Dias’ voice mix in with the others. He sounded calm, but it was firm. Magnar wished there was a window to watch what was happening without having to open the door.Outside, Dias, Blu, and Votan had arrived to relay information that everything had been prepared for Loke on the platform and that it was nearing sundown. However, the trio from before were loitering outside the temple.“Is there something that we can help you with here?” Dias addressed the soldier the kids had previously called Cam.“We’re told there is to be a ceremony today. I wanted to show these eager youngsters the process.” She studied Dias, remembering him from a few days prior, but now knowing there was much more to him that he was holding back.“I’m afraid the priestess can’t be interfered with before the ceremony. It would be best if you witnessed it with the villagers in the valley.” Dias spoke firmly, yet gently. He was careful to not convey anger or irritation.“And who are you to instruct us?” The soldier matched his tone but seemed to stand taller than she had before.Dias gestured to Blu and Votan. “We are the priestess’ companions. We have traveled with her through Caax, Nich, Wiil and now Kabra. We have aided her on several occasions and her bodyguard is currently with her as she prepares herself for the ceremony. She has strict rules to follow, lest she and those in attendance be punished by the gods. I do advise that you return to the valley.”“And if we refuse?” The boy interrupted and tried to act intimidating.“The ceremony will not happen as planned and I’m sure Bixun will have all of our heads.” Dias crossed his arms and stood firm.The girl put her hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Balan, let’s just go. We can see everything inside after the priestess is finished.”“No. Cam brought us here, we should be able to watch the whole thing.” Balan matched his body language to Dias’s.Inside, Magnar was still trying to listen, but could hear vocal escalations without actual words and was growing more concerned. Loke had started down the hallway towards him and was waiting for him to open the door. He knew he wasn’t supposed to interrupt Loke, but he was more concerned about her safety than the actual ceremony. “We might have a problem. Those three from before? They’re outside arguing with Dias. Should I still open the door?”Loke closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths and nodded for him to open the door.Colel was dragging Balan down the hill when the door opened and Loke stepped through it. Magnar whispered for the door to close and stepped in front of her to lead her to the platform. Blu followed behind her and Dias and Votan started down towards the valley.Magnar glared at the trio as he led Loke past them and Blu shook his head at them as they walked past.“I would advise that you follow us.” Dias didn’t want them going anywhere near the platform.Balan relented and stomped down the hill, Colel and Cam running behind them.At the platform, Loke looked over the set up. Dias had placed everything where she had asked it to be placed and was surprised that he was able to capture a mountain beast alive. It looked like it was subdued, but since it was still alive and larger than she expected, she had a better chance at fooling everyone that needed to be deceived.Once she was confident that everything was prepared properly and the sun was starting to dip behind the mountains, Loke addressed the crowd in the ancient tongue and proceeded to offer words of good fortune. The ritual proceeded forward similarly to her previous one in Nono. Instead of a careful soul offering as she had done with Dias, she took the large sword that was before her on the platform and raised it up and pushed it into the heart of the beast, letting the blood spill over the platform and down the front of the platform. She spoke quickly to complete the offering before the beast was exhausted of its blood supply. The animal’s sacrifice was met with cheers and words of offering from the crowd in unison. It seemed that they all were out for blood and she had to believe she offered enough to the god of deception to cover for her request to overpower the request from the crowd.From the valley, Votan barely watched the ritual and kept his eyes focused on Colel. He would keep his promise to stay away from her before the ceremony, but he knew that soon he would be able to profess his devotion to her. Colel didn’t care for the blood that was spilt during the ceremony. It seemed excessive and far more than that creature was able to even hold. It covered the entire front of the platform and started to flow down the front step like features of the mountainside. Balan was quite amazed at the entire ritual and kept commenting to Cam how much better this was than those boring church lectures. Cam stood silent except when needing to offer words along with the crowd. Blu and Magnar watched Loke from the side. They had already seen her confidently perform before, but there was something almost mystical in how she moved this time. He had grilled her yesterday about gaining the power of the gods like Dias, but each time she denied it. He didn’t really accept her answer, but after he got kicked out of the temple, he was forced to let it go.Loke offered a few more words over the body of the beast and concluded in the common language. “To the people of the mountain, I have offered this beast in your name. May the gods continue to find favor upon you and your future generations.” She pulled the sword from the beast and set it in front of her, kneeling beside it to give its soul thanks and a wish to return to the world.The crowd cheered and began to disperse with many of the people mingling with each other. Dias pulled Votan along the path up to meet the others before he embarrassed himself. Loke stepped off the platform and looked out over the crowd.“I think everyone was really into it today.” Blu was trying to encourage Loke since her expression seemed solemn.Loke smiled, satisfied at her work and thankful for Blu’s praise. “Yes, Blu. But hopefully they will be given the strength to make the changes necessary to be kind to others that aren’t like them.”“We should get you back to the temple. You have blood all over you.” Magnar started down the trail.Loke frowned at him. “Some of this I put there before the ceremony.”“Yeah, I know. But the rest of it you didn’t. It’s even in your hair.” Magnar pointed out.Loke made a disgusted face and was quick to catch up to him with Blu trailing behind.“I know those things are bloody, but that didn’t look like that much blood that came out of it. How come you have so much on you?” Blu didn’t notice see a lot spray out of the animal towards Loke, mostly towards the sides. He wondered why there was so much more than expected.“What you saw was probably different than what everyone else saw. You should ask Votan or Dias what it was like in the valley. But it did have a lot more of a spray when I pulled the sword out opposed to going in.”“Why would it have been different? I don’t think I understand?” Blu knew he had a side view, but what would have been different from the valley?“I’ll explain it to you in the temple while Loke cleans up.” Magnar knew what she was referring to and knew he could explain it faster than she would.Magnar, Loke, and Blu reached the temple to see Dias and Votan waiting for them.“Are all of your rituals so dramatic? First my soul and next a river of blood?” Dias asked.Loke grinned. “It wouldn’t be terribly ceremonial if there wasn’t some flair. That’s why these large platforms were built, after all.”“But there wasn’t a lot of blood…” Blu was even more confused after Dias’s comment. Was this what Loke meant when she said they saw something different? Why would there have been so much towards the valley and not a lot at the source?Votan wasn’t sure how Blu thought that wasn’t a lot of blood. They knew how bloody the beasts were and this was beyond that volume. “Eh? There was tons of it! It flowed down the front from that thing we brought in. And you owe us for that, Loke. He was a real pain to capture, you know.”Loke nodded towards Votan. She knew the beast was probably a difficult catch and they exceeded her expectations by keeping it alive. “Thank you for your great efforts, Votan. It was because you all did this for me that the ritual was as successful as it was. I’m going to do what I need to do. Please protect the door.”Loke was about to step inside the temple when the three from earlier came running up the trail and the boy called out to her. “Hey! That was awesome priestess! I never knew something could have so much blood!”“Balan, be respectful.” The girl grabbed the boy’s ear and bowed to Loke. “I’m terribly sorry for his impoliteness. The ceremony was quite a sight. We wanted to thank you for the opportunity to bear witness.”“You don’t need to be so formal. But unfortunately, I am unable to speak with you right now as I have other matters to attend to. If you’ll excuse me. Magnar, please watch the inner door instead.”Magnar followed her in as she closed the outer door. “I guess now isn’t a good time to explain to Blu what happened?”“No, not at all. I’ll explain to the others later when there aren’t strangers that could jeopardize everything I worked so hard for.” Loke was trying to pull strands of hair apart that were caked in blood.“That whole thing today was to the god of strength, right? Did you make an offering to the god of deception besides in here?” Magnar suspected she had been leaving out some details during her explaination.Loke smiled. “I didn’t. Dias and Blu did. Dias figured out what they were offering to the god of strength that provided them with so much blood and I had him collect some of the blood they had stored for me to use for my body. He then used wine and with a thickening agent Blu suggested to replace the offering blood.”Magnar scratched the back of his head. “I wasn’t sure where you got that. But even I have to admit that was clever.”“And because of that, it weakened the bond for Bixun’s requests and strengthened my own. Since it doesn’t seem that anyone else here is aware of what I was saying outside of offering and god of strength, it was simple to ask for the god of strength to provide a different type of strength outside of being a mighty nation.”“So, now we just wait and see what happens?” Magnar nearly walked into Loke as she stopped at the doorway to the inner chamber.“No, now you wait while I wash all of this blood off of me. Then we’re going to Zipan. It’s time I started paying my debt to you.”Loke went inside and Magnar sat by the door wondering what was in Zipan and how that was going to pay him. She was queen of Holom, wouldn’t all of her funding be there? And these mountains were pretty cold, but Zipan was said to be nothing but ice and snow from the bridge from Yopa to the far northern coast. Not to mention, it was rumored that Zipan’s empress was the one that was pushing into Yopa and causing them to be militaristic.While Loke washed the blood off her from the basin that seemed to have filled itself while they were gone, she stared at the library she would be leaving behind. She understood that she didn’t need to physically look at the texts to know what was inside of them, but she liked the feel of tangible texts. Satisfied that she was clean enough and changed into her usual clothes, she strapped her book to her back and met Magnar in the hall.As they left the temple, Blu handed Loke and Magnar their supplies and they started down the trail with the trio of strangers running behind. Clearly, they weren’t going to disappear anytime soon, much to Votan’s delight. Once they reached the valley, Dias and Magnar in near unison exclaimed their disbelief.“Is that who I think it is?” Loke pointed at the fashionable, large man fighting Bixun.“Betti. You’ve never really had an opportunity to meet him. And today might be a good day to keep that streak.” Magnar was already looking for a different exit from the valley.Dias nodded. “I agree. He’s probably following your trail somehow and is still out to eradicate both of you.”“Wait, that’s the guy from Nakbe, right? The one that nearly ripped out my arm?” Votan took a half step backwards.“Yeah. He’s been after me and Loke for a while now. Relentless, I’ll give him that.” Magnar let out a small laugh to keep from yelling in frustration.“What on earth did you two do to be chased by Betoros?” The soldier looked down on the valley and slipped into the conversation as if she belonged there.“You know that guy? And wait, who are you anyway?” Magnar hadn’t any intentions on exposing anything to anyone let alone these disruptors.“He’s a high level assassin. Never quits a job until it’s completed, no matter how long or what lengths he needs to go through.” Cam frowned and watched Bixun fight Betti.While Magnar was talking to Cam, Loke had started down the trail. “Wait, Loke, where do you think you’re going?” He called after her when he noticed she was heading toward the fight.Loke turned and scowled. “He’s just going to keep following us, right? At the very least, I want to know who wants him to kill us.”“Priestess, you mustn’t. He never reveals his employer and will crush you before you could even ask him.” Cam pleaded.“I appreciate your concern and I’m sure the gods will smile upon your kindness, but I can’t let him continue to terrorize others when we’re the ones he is after.”Loke continued down the hill, with Blu chasing after her. Dias shrugged and followed and Magnar grunted and ran to catch up to her and try and talk her out of it on the way down. Votan looked at his companions and the girl he claimed was his destiny before cursing to himself and running after the others.Betti had knocked Bixun to the side with a swing of his bag and noticed the small party standing before him. “Oh, it looks like I managed to find my precious little targets. You, little boy and girl, you can scram. The rugged handsome one can stay and watch as I squash this pesky pair.”“I’m not a girl,” Blu muttered. It angered him more since it was the second time he was called a girl by Betti despite Betti being more effeminate than he was.Votan frowned. “Did he just call me a little boy?”“Yes, Votan. And I’m the little girl. Hate this guy yet?” Blu asked.“Yeah. A lot. Hey! Can we make this guy into an offering or something?” Votan called out to Loke.Loke paused and looked at Votan. He was clearly angry, but whether or not he was serious, his suggestion caught her attention.Betti laughed and looked at Votan. “Me? You wish to make me an offering to your mythical gods? And what god would you even offer me to? The god of little boys?”Votan’s hands clenched around his short sword and Magnar stepped back to stop him. “Don’t fight with that rage. You’ll get sloppy. Wait for your opportunity.”“Betoros!” Loke called to get Betti’s attention and keep him from focusing on her companions. “I am one of those you are seeking to assassinate. I have come forward to ask you, who has placed such a price on our heads? If I’m going to die, at least let me know who hates me this much.”“As if, girlie. I don’t snitch on my boss. Now, I want to have playtime with that handsome fella before I kill him too, so I’ll take you out first, if you don’t mind. Now play nice and die quickly.”Betti took a large swing at Loke and she was able to jump backwards out of the way, but stumbled backwards when Magnar pushed her even further back. “Focus on support. He might be too strong for us, but we don’t have much choice but to fight him here.”“Hey, pretty boy, forget about your girlfriend and come play with me instead!” Betti was frustrated that she was pushed out of his range.“Magnar!” Loke drew his attention and tossed him a pitchfork. He noticed a patch of blood near the part Loke previously etched and saw her holding her hand to stop blood flow.Magnar didn’t have a lot of time to think about what he saw as he had to jump out of the way of Betti’s bag. Dias rushed to Loke and healed the wound she inflicted on herself before joining in the fight himself. Votan slashed at Betti when he found an opening, but despite Betti’s size and Votan’s speed, he was struggling to get behind him. Blu supported Magnar and Votan the best he could with a few lightning shocks, but they didn’t seem to have any effect this time. Blu was starting to run low on pellets.Colel was pleading with Cam off to the side to help them. Balan wasn’t wasting time and already had an arrow lined up, just waiting for Cam to give him the go ahead and fire. Cam waited to interfere until the other five were wearing themselves thin. Betti didn’t seem to have any breakdown in strength and stamina no matter how many times he’d been stabbed or hit or even blinded. Betti had scalpels sticking out from his arms and legs, but none of them seemed to bother him. He wasn’t affected by the bright flash of light that would sometimes occur or by whatever the light haired boy seemed to shoot at him. She suspected the priestess was causing Betti to slow down from time to time, but it wasn’t for long and usually only enough for someone to get out of the way. Cam noted that the boy in the hat was agile and kept poking Betti from behind without any reaction from Betti until he was thrown to the side. Cam pulled the large sword from her back and walked towards the valley. She waited until Betty pulled back for a big swing of his bag and as it was about to hit Magnar directly from his side, she rushed in between them and blocked the bag with her sword, holding her ground with great difficulty, but she was able to match his force.“Balan! Shoot now!” Cam struggled to hold the bag that Betti was still trying to pull on a follow through.Balan fired an arrow at the taught portion of the bag’s strap and cut a hole clear through it, but it refused to snap. Votan took the chance to run up the bag and his arm to finish severing the strap that Balan had started. Once the strap snapped, Betti stumbled and let out a blood curdling shriek before picking up his bag and retreated down the mountain.“You aren’t out of my sights yet! I will find you once again!” Betti called after them as he vanished into the trees.Loke’s entire group collapsed into the valley, physically exhausted and truly pushed to their limits.“Next time, can we not engage him?” Magnar stared up at the sky as the stars were starting to sparkle. “Though, the extra earth boost was pretty helpful. Thanks, Loke.”Loke sat up in the grass. “Yeah, sorry about that. I still want to know why he’s after the two of us, not everyone else. And why you as well? I can understand people that might want me gone, but you’re just my guard.”“Are you all alright?” Cam dusted herself off and swung her sword behind her for it to catch onto her back.Loke looked up at the soldier standing beside her. “Thanks to you. You didn’t have to involve yourselves into our problems.”“It’s my honor to aid the priestess. My name is Camella Gentry, soldier from these very mountains. I served the Biyeho side during the war. Please call me Cam. These two are Colel and her twin brother, Balan. I have been tasked with accompanying them as they seek to learn more about the world around them.”“But they are Tumben, are they not?” Dias suspected that they weren’t, but wanted to play along for a while.Cam spoke for the twins. “They were brought up in churches, but not are not intimately versed with either religion. They had not been exposed to such ceremonies as today’s and are still somewhat unfamiliar with a lot of Tumben practices. It was quite beautiful, if I do say so. The way the sky filled with such a red color at the time of the offering – it was so impressive.”“Thanks.” Loke was too worn out to do much more than continue to stare up at the sky. She was cold, but didn’t really care.“Cam, we should get them back to the village. And the governor too. He’s been out cold for a while now.” Colel tried to think of a way they could help, but wasn’t sure what the three of them could do in this situation.“Hey, I made sure to follow that guy until he was gone. I lost him in the trees, but I don’t think he’s coming back soon.” Balan climbed down from a nearby ledge. “So, what now?”Dias had gotten up and started collecting what scalpels remained in the valley. He made his way to Cam and introduced himself. “Thank you for your aid. I’m Dias, the priestess I’m certain would rather you call her Loke. He’s her hired guard, Magnar. The light blue haired fellow is Blu. The agile one in the hat, that’s Votan. I’m certain that no one has serious injuries and will just require some rest. You do not need to trouble yourself to get us all to the village. We are quite content to camp here if we need to. Thank you for your concern, but I do ask that you tend to your governor.”“It’s going to be terribly cold out here during the night. You really should return to the caverns.” Cam tried to argue with Dias while Colel and Balan had gone to try and wake Bixun.Colel picked up his axes while Balan helped him to his feet. Bixun looked around and saw just about everyone lying in the matted grass. “Even after the priestess asked the gods for strength, this had to happen.”“She didn’t ask the gods for physical strength.” Colel said without thinking.Bixun felt insulted. “What do you mean girl? I saw the whole thing. She offered that beast to the god of strength for the village.”Balan glared at Colel from under Bixun’s arm to not explain further.“Well, yes, she did. I’m sorry, I must have misunderstood.” She didn’t have any good reply to cover her error.Satisfied enough with Colel’s apology, he looked at the axes in Colel’s hands. “That guy, he’s just too strong. He cracked one of my axes. They were forged with the strongest ore of this mountain. Only orestone is stronger and we don’t have that in Kabra.”Colel looked down and saw one of the axes was indeed cracked. It wasn’t a small crack and parts of the axe had chipped off around the crack.By the time Bixun and the twins reached Cam and Dias, Blu and Votan had already set up a fire and covered the sleeping Loke with an extra blanket and managed to get Magnar to a seated position. “Today was a great show up there. Tell her that when she wakes up, would ya. And we await the gods' blessings. Come back to the village when everyone is able. Cam, let them be tonight.”“Yes, of course.” Cam saluted Bixun as the twins led him back to the village. “I must go. But I did want to apologize for any inconvenience those kids may have provided earlier. I’m afraid I’m not permitted to be as strict as I wish to be with them.” Cam excused herself and followed Bixun and the twins down the pathway back towards the village.Dias and Blu bandaged everyone as needed and Dias used what energy he had left to heal Magnar since he had several cracked ribs from taking blows from Betti. He was amazed he wasn’t having any more difficulty breathing than he already was.“I missed a really great chance to talk to her.” Votan was chiding himself next to the fire. His eye was swollen and Blu had put an ointment on where his lip had split. Aside from a few other bruises and scrapes, he wasn’t seriously injured.“You got to show off for her, right? Even I have to admit I was impressed with that final move that cut Betti’s bag. I’m sure she’ll remember that as well.” Dias was trying to comfort Votan since he would probably go on all night about her and singing her praises of her beauty was better than hearing him lament.Loke was brought out of a deep sleep by the smell of breakfast and the sound of chatter. Adjusting to the bright sun, she saw the trio from the day before having breakfast with Dias and Blu. She saw Magnar still sleeping and Votan looked like he was trying to hide himself behind a large stone nearby. Cam kept ruffling Blu’s hair and he looked like he was able to relax around her, which she hoped was Blu learning to open up. He often seemed nervous, so she was happy to see him relax around others.“Oh! Priestess! You’re awake!” Colel rushed over to Loke and knelt by her side. “Is there anything that we can get for you?”Loke was barely awake and didn’t enjoy being fawned over. “Please don’t call me Priestess. Just call me Loke. And you don’t need to make a fuss over me, just enjoy your breakfast.”“It’s no trouble at all! We had been talking with Dias and Blu and while they seem to not mind it too much, they suggested that we confer with you, but would it be alright if we traveled together?” Colel smiled, eagerly awaiting Loke’s reply.Loke looked around once more and rubbed her eyes. She wasn’t sure how to answer and she didn’t even remember if she knew this girl’s name. She struggled to stand up but made her way over to the others and dropped back onto the ground without having provided an answer. Colel tried to help her, but she insisted on doing it herself. She was sore, but not really injured. “Good morning.”“Are you feeling alright?” Dias inquired.“Why does everyone keep asking me that? I’m a bit sore, but I’ll be fine. Thank you for your healing, as usual. More importantly, how broken is he? He should have been awake hours ago.” Loke nodded towards Magnar.“A few broken ribs that should have reset while he slept. As long as we don’t encounter Betti in the next few days, he’ll be good as new.” Dias took a sip from a mug.“Dias already explained where everyone was from. He fights pretty good for a farmer. I would be curious to see what he could do with a sword in his hand. Or even a lance. I could easily see him using a lance or spear.” Cam thought it would be helpful to reshape the conversation.Balan shrugged. “Where’s the fun in traditional weapons? I think it’s fun he uses farm tools.”“Says the brother that uses a bow and arrow.” Colel muttered.“Says the sister that can’t catch dinner with her tonfa,” countered Balan.Ignoring the arguing twins that were settling on a staring contest with each other instead of using words, Loke looked over to where Votan was still hiding. “What’s with Votan?”“He’s too embarrassed by his appearance to introduce himself. The swelling’s gone down a lot, but he has a lot of bruising on his eye and lip. Surprisingly, he’s rather conscientious of his appearance.” Though, Dias knew he only cared because of Colel.Cam again decided to steer the conversation back on topic. “So, as Colel had excitedly asked you earlier, if you’ll have us, we’d like to travel with you. These kids are on a trip to learn about the world and Dias has mentioned you’ve got a lot of destinations on your agenda, though he hasn’t quite explained what your plans were.”Loke looked at Cam. Despite her rough exterior, she seemed quite friendly and gentle. She reminded her of Dias in that aspect. She knew it was highly unusual for anyone to want to travel around Itzam to learn, besides herself, and she already knew she wasn’t representative of most people. It made her somewhat suspicious about their story though she did respect the sentiment. “What is it that you wish to learn about the world?”Cam looked at the twins who had stopped staring at each other long enough to think about their actual answers.Colel was the first to answer. “I think that’s actually a simple answer, although rather difficult to articulate. There are so many different people out there, right? Not everyone believes in the same thing or even believes it in the same way. And depending where people are, their way of life is different. I’m sure that how we grew up is very different than how Cam grew up here and how different all of you live in your respective countries.”Loke was quite impressed with Colel’s answer. It showed a level of maturity that someone her age typically didn’t. Even the average woman in the city that Loke encountered weren’t that well-spoken.Balan scoffed at his sister. “That’s a fancy answer for something that’s even easier. Being in the same place is boring. You have to go see new things to have fun with them! There’s got to be so many different ways to have fun and different games that I couldn’t even dream up!”Loke couldn’t hide a small laugh and looked at Dias. “One could think he has blessings from the god of play.”“No doubt.” Dias nodded.“What’s the god of play?” Balan was suddenly interested in the conversation.Loke obliged Balan’s curiosity. “In stories, the god of play is a rather tricky god to pin down. Partially responsible for the joy in children and sometimes a catalyst for the god of creativity to shine, but other times, he can be a bit of a prankster and on occasion will even have dealings with the god of deception. Some translations have him as a god of general activity.”“Wait, I’m not deceiving anyone!” Balan protested.Loke shook her head. “I didn’t say you were. I was just explaining what the records indicate for that particular god.”No one had noticed Magnar had gotten up and made his way to the group. He was holding his side as he approached, but sat down with everyone else. “Is there any food left?”“Nice of you to join us. We saved you a little porridge.” Loke passed the bowl to Dias to give him.Magnar took the bowl from her. “Thanks. So what’s the plan now? Please don’t tell me that we’re going to linger until Betti comes back.” He vaguely remembered Loke said something about Zipan.Loke frowned recalling the night before. “No. But I think we should leave Kabra rather quickly.”“Will you not return to Markaj?” Cam asked. “I believe Bixun wanted to see you before you left.”Loke shook her head. “While I’m thankful for his generosity towards us, I am concerned about the treatment of others that venture into the mountains that he seems to support.”“Loke was grabbed and tortured before we could figure out where she was. People in the villages seem to disappear too.” Blu frowned, he didn’t understand why anyone had to treat strangers that way and not give them the opportunity to defend themselves. It reminded him too much of living in Caax lately.Cam frowned. “Oh. Bixun is rather exuberant when it comes to keeping Markaj safe. It’s a lot of caverns and challenging trails, but he’s been keeping them safe for a long time. He’s worried about spies. I’m surprised he didn’t explain this to you.”Loke shook her head.Cam sighed. She wasn’t surprised that Bixun left it out. “I’m sure you’re aware of the political climate in Zipan, Yopa, and Caax, right?”“It extends into Nich as well.” Dias added.Cam nodded in agreement. “All the more reason for him to protect Kabra’s Biyeho center. A lot of the problem stems from Zipan. I don’t know if it is exclusively Saal herself or if someone else is pulling the strings, but she wants all the Biyeho eradicated. She’s making it her mission to eliminate anyone that even remotely seems like one. Corozol, the capital, is under complete military rule and I’ve heard Yopa is following suit. Caax also is a terrible place for Biyeho right now, I’ve heard.”“It’s very unsafe for Biyeho in Caax. We’ve had a bit of a struggle there. Yet Holom is just to the west and quite the safe haven for all.” Loke confirmed Cam’s assessment.“Not anymore.” Cam tone was somewhat somber.“Excuse me?” Loke left strict instructions and if Edras wasn’t holding up his end of the bargain, he was going to find himself on her offering platform.Cam rushed to clarify. “It isn’t unsafe, but I heard that Edras has been trying to make secret deals with Palen. The word is that he’s unusually terrified of the queen, but she doesn’t have much of a presence, so he’s been treading lightly, but still proceeding down that path.”Loke wasn’t sure if she should cry or scream. Instead, she clenched her fists a few times and tried to organize the thoughts racing through her mind, but wasn’t quite able to sort them at all.“What about Wiil and Tohil? Have you heard anything from them?” Dias asked Cam. “Wiil doesn’t seem to have a lot of Biyeho at all, and most seem to be isolated like the ones here. In Nich, many of them have evacuated the country and are now living elsewhere. There are only a few people here and there that are practicing in secret. The war took many of them.”“It’s a sad reality, Dias. You all seem to know more about Wiil than I’ve heard. They’re quite isolated in general, so it is unsurprising that Biyeho are even further isolated. Tohil is a different matter altogether.” Cam hesitated with bringing up Tohil.“What’s going on in Tohil?” Magnar remembered Loke mentioned wanting to talk to the royal family there.“The royal family was forced to convert or be lynched by the rioters. The rainforests keep most of the people in the main cities, but most the people that were pressuring the royal family came from smaller outlying towns and villages. No one was treated unfairly in Tohil. There was quite a lot of religious tolerance like in Holom. But because of the threats, the family sacrificed their beliefs in place of their lives. On paper, policies the same but tensions are running high.”“So, where was it you wanted to go next?” Magnar looked to Loke to see if she was still set on Zipan. None of the destinations seemed safe and he didn’t even know if she was changing her objectives after Cam’s assessment.Loke thought hard. There were many loose ends to tie up, but if Saal was spearheading the entire thing, facing her would be one option, but another would be to weaken her first. She doubted that there could be any understanding for an easy compromise, but she also wanted to investigate something that she thought might benefit Magnar, as a form of payment. She also was greatly concerned about what Cam had said about Edras. She wasn’t looking forward to another homecoming, but maybe she should remind him of the rules. There didn’t seem much of a need to return to Nich or Wiil at the moment and she did wish to talk with the royal family in Tohil, as they could be powerful allies if they don’t continue to succumb to the pressure. That left Caax and Yopa, both of which were tremendously dangerous, but could reduce Saal’s reach.“I don’t quite know. To be honest, the only places I don’t think we need to revisit at this time is Nich and Wiil, unless Dias or Votan wish to return home.”Dias shook his head. “I don’t have much of a home to return to and I’m sure Votan over there feels much the same way. Before you mentioned wanting to go to Tohil. Perhaps we should go there?”“No! I mean, I don’t think that Tohil is a place anyone needs to go right away. I mean, there’s a lot of pressure, but the royal family is strong in their stance.” Colel seemed nervous every time Tohil came up in conversation.“So, that leaves Caax, Holom, Yopa, and Zipan. Loke, what do you think?” Dias narrowed it down a little for her, but she still looked like she was having a difficult time deciding.“I think I want to go to Zipan after all. However, I don’t know that meeting the empress would be a good idea right now. We have no ability to change her mind. But if we can get an understanding of the people under her rule, it might be worth the trip. There’s also something I wanted to look into while we’re there.”“Another temple trip? Am I going to be stuck sleeping on cold stone floors again?” Magnar wasn’t surprised she ended up back at her initial decision. It always felt like her instincts would win over any other proposal.Loke seemed lost in thought. “I don’t think it ever was much of a temple, but I don’t really know what it is now.”Magnar looked at Loke, not sure if she was joking or if it was something from her new knowledge bank. “This something you learned about recently?”“Maybe. I was reminded of a story from long ago, but I need to remember all the details. I do know that Zipan should be the place referenced.”“Can I ask what’s going on? Whatever you guys are talking about doesn’t make any sense.” Everything seemed to be well above Balan’s comprehension, but as long as it wasn’t going back to Tohil, he was game.Loke didn’t want to explain too many details. She loved to share knowledge and appease the curious, but at the same time, they also weren’t clear Biyeho and could turn her in at any point. “I still haven’t decided if we should let you travel with us, so I’m not sure I should explain any more than I already have.”Luckily, Dias also understood the line they needed to tread and that he knew Loke already considered them to be members of the group, despite what she said. “It is probably better to not understand everything. And sometimes it is also best to not ask questions.”“Now that we know where we’re going, I’m going to get ready to go. I’d rather not linger here too much longer.” Magnar struggled to get up, his body still sore.“I’ll help!” Balan followed Magnar to at least try and do something with all of his energy and he was finding the current discussion between Loke, Dias, and Cam boring. “Do you think she’ll let us come with you?”“No doubt.” Magnar grunted. “I’m not sure why she’s so hesitant today, but she seems to have a hard time saying no. At least to others tagging along and requests for rituals.”“My sister seems really intrigued by her. We never had the chance to meet a priestess or anyone like that before, so I think she has all sorts of questions for her.”“Not Biyeho then?” Magnar now understood why Loke was being hesitant.“We spent a lot of time in the church. It was really boring and it feels like all the fun things are things they talk about being bad. Colel is really good at fortune telling, but its super taboo. Cam’s from this town. Bixun’s her brother, actually.”Magnar was surprised to hear Cam and Bixun were related and wondered if anyone else knew. “You realize that Markaj isn’t kind to Tumben?”“Yeah, I heard what happened. But since it’s Cam, Bixun was fine with it. Hey, what’s that in there?” Balan pointed at a pouch on the ground.Magnar looked at the pouch he was reaching for and noticed a small hole where a few seeds had fallen out. “Seeds. It seems that I may have lost a few. I’ve picked these up at places we’ve stopped hoping that something will grow in Caax. The crops aren’t doing so well this year and no one is optimistic about next year.”“Right! You’re a farmer! So what’s that like?”Balan continued to grill Magnar on random life questions while across the valley Colel was doing much of the same to Loke.“How long did you study to be a priestess?”“Most of my life, probably. After my parents died, I was brought under the care of a high priest and priestess to study. I’m certain there are many in the church that have similar training.”Colel dismissed Loke’s assumption “The church confuses me. I’m afraid to speak to anyone about it because anyone that questions things gets punished. I thought, maybe, I could talk to you about those things.”“Well, we have quite a long trip to Zipan to discuss them, then.” Loke picked up the last of her items and looked to see where everyone else had gotten to. Magnar was going back to where they had breakfast, Balan talking with great animation behind him and Dias and Blu looked ready to go as well, with Cam waiting beside them. Votan was also nearby, but still a distance away from the rest of the group. He had his hat pulled down low and a bandana pulled up over his mouth. He wore it like that often in the desert, but there wasn’t sand here to keep out of his face. What distracted her was that in the place where Magnar had slept, a patch of wildflowers had sprouted and a few in the path behind him.“Does that mean we can join you?” Colel couldn’t help but feel excited and the excitement grabbed Loke’s attention once more.Loke sighed, not sure how to proceed with the new group. “Yes. But there are a lot of dangerous things that we could encounter. If at any time things feel too risky, there won’t be any offence if you choose to leave.”“We’ll be fine! We have Cam and Balan is really good with arrows. I can fight fairly well if I have to.” Colel was ecstatic to have been accepted to the group.With everyone together, the group now expanded to eight. Cam led them through the northern caverns of Markaj to the land bridge that connected Nich and Kabra. The border security was surprisingly light and they had no difficulties entering Nich. They were headed back to the port they had used to cross between Nich and Caax, but they were on the lookout for something that might be headed to Zipan.
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Balan had the worst time on boats. There wasn’t much for him to expend his energy on and no one else seemed terribly interested in games, except Blu. He taught Blu some table games, but even that wasn’t enough to keep his interests. As much as he distrusted Ezra, he did find the fact he was willing to teach him how to properly sail and maintain the ship somewhat distracting and it was a good way to keep Ezra away from his sister. Ezra was quite pleased to have someone interested in his craft and spent as much time as he could explaining the tides and how to utilize the wind to his advantage and how to read the water and the sea life that would travel alongside them.When Ezra wasn’t in the cabin, Loke locked herself inside it and spent it reviewing her book trying to sort what she could do from what she really wanted to do. Cam and Dias spent much of their time discussing their respective wars that Colel would often wander away from them in boredom. Votan attempted to keep her entertained on many occasions by finally professing his love to her in the form of poetry. Colel found his poetry appalling and found nothing endearing or entertaining about Votan. Mostly, she thought he was trying too hard to earn her attention and would rather sit and have a normal conversation with him instead of him showing off his sleight of hand tricks or generating poorly constructed rhymes. She wished Loke would let her into the cabin so she could escape the outside and the boredom. Magnar generally had been keeping to himself and sat outside the cabin door sharpening his scythe and occasionally trying to figure out what Loke thought was so important in Zipan for him that she would put her other goals to the side. He barely enjoyed the frost, let alone going somewhere notoriously covered in ice. Nighttime generally allowed everyone to rest as much as they wanted and even Ezra often took the opportunity to rest himself. Dias was getting used to waking up in the middle of the night and spotted Colel sitting on a crate looking out over the water."What's wrong Colel? Can't sleep?" Dias leaned against the crates piled beside the one Colel sat on.Colel watched Dias lean beside her and raised her guard a little. "It's not that. It's quiet at night and the stars are amazing. Since we're safe on the boat, I feel like I can let my guard down a little.""But not completely?"Colel shook her head. "Not completely. Votan's almost always following me and it is nearly impossible to even think clearly with his awful poems ringing through my ears.""They aren't all awful. Sometimes he has some lovely lines." Dias did understand the frustration with a shadow, but at least Blu wasn't annoying to him in the same way Votan was for Colel."Maybe one or two aren't that bad, but most of them just sound like they're put together just to rhyme without any actual point. Your eyes are so red//I can't get you out of my head. Stupid, right?"Dias laughed. He had to admit that was a terrible example. "But wasn't there one about the intense color of your eyes reflecting the fire in his soul?"Colel was quiet. She did think that one was rather nice, but it wasn't enough to forgive him for the barrage of awful ones. "Was there something like that? Either way, it is all quite irritating. Wouldn't you tire of such things on a consistent basis?"Like Colel, Dias was tired of the poor poetry, but having everyone relaxed enough that they could be mad about that reminded Dias that it might not be so bad once in a while. "My advice would to have made your intentions and feelings about the devotion clear, but you are quite unmistakable with him in that regards. But since he is insistent, why not use that to your advantage?""My advantage? Like, boss him around?" Colel sat up straighter and looked somewhat stunned at the suggestion.Dias shrugged.She shook her head briskly. "No, that's not fair. He's overbearing but doesn't deserve to be used that way.""Is that so?" Dias was aware of her overall maturity for a girl, but was sometimes surprised by something that exceeded his observations."He doesn't seem to harbor any ill will and while he's persistent, he still respects my boundaries. But he needs to realize that he's wasting his energy." Colel looked out over the water again.Dias pulled away from the crate and looked down at Colel with a smile. "In a situation like we're currently in, you're his motivation. If you're going to disappoint him, at least don't take away his purpose."She watched Dias walk towards his blankets and started to think about what he said. Maybe she could find a way to get Votan to be less poetic, at least.Shortly before anyone could see the coast of Zipan, Loke opened the door for Magnar to join her to discuss what she why she wanted to go to Zipan and why it was important for him to join her. Dias noticed from the corner of his eye and recognized the expression on Loke’s face. He frowned, suspecting it was a similar conversation that he had with her in Nono.“Is something wrong, Dias?” Cam noticed Dias looking towards the cabin.“Hopefully not. I would imagine a difficult conversation is taking place inside. Although, it looks like Ezra didn’t notice Magnar going inside so it should be quiet for a little while.” Dias couldn’t hear them, but he could see them already arguing through the window.“Oh, right. Ezra has a thing for Loke. He seems to be handling her rejection pretty well. Unlike some other people on this boat.” Cam looked towards Colel, who had her hands over her ears as she was trying to walk away from Votan’s terrible poetry.“I suppose her heart is the one thing he isn’t quite able to steal.” Dias watched Votan trying to keep pace with Colel.“It’s better if he doesn’t.” Cam continued to keep her eye on Colel and Votan.“I think Balan shares that thought as well.” Dias looked over at Balan, who was helping Ezra with the sails as he turned to scream at Votan to leave Colel alone.As the boat neared the port, Ezra gathered everyone on deck. “We have a bit of a problem. That port looks rather benign from the outside, but it’s crawling with soldiers. I can run us down the coast a bit and find an area that might be less likely to spot you. I’m not tossing you guys right into the hands of those bums. They are rumored to do some nasty things to Biyeho before killing them off in Zipan. So hang tight a little longer and after sunset, I’ll drop you somewhere along the southeastern shoreline.”The mood on board was heavy as Ezra navigated them away from the port. The air was especially thick around Loke and Magnar, but both of them were somber after their conversation in the cabin. Ezra didn’t know what the argument was about, but he hated that Loke now wore a heavy frown. He knew she was taking grand risks, but he hoped she wasn’t taking too much on her own.“So, can I take a stab in the dark?” Dias decided to try and get to the core of the tension and approached Loke when everyone else dispersed.“I don’t think there’s much darkness for you anymore, Dias.”Dias smiled at her attempt at a joke. She was serious most of the time and he often forget she did have a sense of humor under the layers of Biyeho obsession. “You asked him to take a serious gamble for you, didn’t you?”“Is it that obvious?” Loke leaned against the side of the boat and looked out over the frozen coastline of Zipan.“You had the same expression when you approached me in Nono about offering my soul.” Dias leaned against the rail next to her. He glanced in her direction before following her line of sight.She didn’t say anything for a while, while she stared at the sparkling, bright white color of the ice and snow. Eventually, she relented and opened up to Dias. “He hasn’t decided what he wants to do yet. We would also need to locate the site, but his earth affinity is quite significant and I wanted to offer him something similar to your abilities with light.”Dias sighed, having his hunch proven correct. “So you would offer him to the spirit of earth?”“Trir isn’t quite the same as Lusaa, in the aspect that he isn’t bound or captive. Trir’s reputation is more for keeping himself hidden away. But I am still considering Oskuab now that Lusaa has been released although we would need someone who has affinity to the darkness. But that’s for another time. Right now I wanted to do something in return for how much he’s already done.”“Are we looking for another old platform or temple here? Something like in Nono, perhaps?” Dias knew how big of a request this was from her and while he was confident enough to let her use him as a sacrifice, he knew Magnar might not be as ready to throw his mortality away.Loke hung her head and looked into the water. “I don’t quite know. Zipan was listed in one of the documents as having something important, but it wasn’t listed as a traditional ritual site like in Kabra or Nono. It didn't make a lot of sense and I still can’t figure it out. My only possible clue is the rumor of a mysterious forest. Supposedly, once people enter the forest, they either return to where they began or are lost forever inside of it. It is certainly something Trir is capable of doing, but according to the records I read in Kabra, he likes to test those who would wield his powers. Other than that, there were no actual details. I do know what I’m supposed to do when I find the site, but considering Zipan, I have to hope we can survive long enough to actually find it.”“That is troubling. I could see why he would be hesitant with so many variables. But, since I’ve been tagging along and from what Blu has described to me, you seem to always find an appropriate solution, so I wouldn’t worry about it so far. Fate seems to be on your side. Have you spoken to Colel? Cam mentioned her fortune telling abilities were top notch.” Dias remembered she was hesitant about talking to Seneca about her fortune and doubted she would want a reading.“No. I would rather not know where my destiny lies at this point. But thank you.”Almost as if she was summoned, Colel was passing by when her name was mentioned and heard Dias mention her skill. “I can look into other things if you don’t care to know about your destiny; even if it’s something silly. It might help you take your mind off of other things.”Dias encouraged her to go and Loke figured she could humor both of them as a distraction and went off with Colel. She really didn’t want to know anything about her future, so she let Colel do a random reading. Anything that could be influential to Loke’s path, she asked Colel to withhold from her. Colel had Loke hold a small bag that contained several stones before having her dump them onto a cloth she spread over the deck to ensure none of the stones fell through the boards.“I’m rather surprised you do stone readings. It’s a rather advanced skill.” Loke commented as she dumped the bag.“I find them to be the most accurate, but not quite specific. Since you don’t want to know too much, it provides a level of vagueness to it.” Colel looked at the pattern that formed when Loke dumped the bag and went silent for a while.Loke understood the principle behind the different types of fortunes and was quite aware of how to read them, but was never able to read them herself with any sort of consistency and gave up on the practice. She was relieved that while many priests and priestesses were hired for readings, it was a job she could easily avoid taking. She typically left it to those that were better at it and needed the extra work. As it was unfavorable to perform your own readings, she waited for Colel to make her assessment.“How is any of this even possible?” Colel spoke mostly to herself as she sorted out the stones, but eventually had to try and share information with Loke. “I have never seen anyone with as many possibilities as you have here. Usually there are only one or two options, but they all lead to the same conclusion. I see at least seven distinct paths and all different conclusions. Many of them are quite tragic, but there are two that don’t have nearly as much suffering. Are you sure you don’t want to look into this more? I think this could be quite significant for you.” Colel still didn’t understand how the fate paths could diverge so greatly. If anything, she wanted a much more precise reading for Loke, though she knew Loke wouldn’t let her do it.How could she have seven or more possibilities for her future? Everyone’s destiny was predetermined and she should have minimal options like everyone else. “I should only have one ultimate destiny. I don’t understand how it doesn’t demonstrate that.” Loke looked at the layout and understood what Colel saw, though she wondered if Colel’s abilities weren’t over exaggerated.Colel stared at the stones, continuing to be confounded by the result. “I can’t explain it either. I’ve never seen it before. But according to this, whatever you have to do in this place has three outcomes alone, two of them are tragic for you. I would recommend a more specific reading to avoid those two possibilities.”Loke shook her head. “No.”Magnar had been watching from a bit of a distance but sat next to Loke, one leg crossed under him and his other bent with his foot flat on the deck. “I need to know something.”Colel was surprised by Magnar’s interruption and his sudden interest in his fortune. “Um, ok. Is it specific?”“I have a pretty big decision to make and I need to know that I’m making the right choice.” Magnar glanced at Loke, who was desperately trying to avoid looking at him.“I have fortune cards. They can show the outcomes of a specific choice.” Colel offered.“We’ll go with that.” Magnar rested his arm on his knee as he watched her shuffle and flip cards with an abstract design on them. He wondered if Blu would see some interesting story in the artwork if he looked at it.“Your choice is a decision that will dictate the fate of many others. The first choice shows a great shadow, which indicates a significant level of sadness. The other choice…” Colel paused, as two of her cards seemed to be stuck together. “I’m sorry, I can’t seem to separate these cards. They seemed fine upon shuffling and they’re stuck askew.”“Perhaps they were meant to be drawn together.” Loke had her hands clenched into her skirt, afraid to see what would result, but knew to not question the unusual.Colel flipped both cards together. She looked at them and their positioning and wondered what their significance was. Loke was just as mystified, but looked over at Magnar, who was keeping a neutral expression, minus his slightly furrowed brow.“The top card seems to indicate a strong force which has seemed to triumph over the card that often symbolizes death. Both pathways do show a lot of hardship, but it seems that the one with the shadow has the hardship occurring near the end of the timeline as the other choice, the stuck cards, has much of the hardship upfront.” Colel quietly berated herself as she was usually so much more confident – yet both of these readings were nothing she’d ever seen before.“So, if I make this choice over here,” Magnar pointed to the shadowed card, “then bad things happen and people are sad? But then this one,” he pointed to the stuck cards, “is tough but not so bad at the end?”“That’s one interpretation. It could mean a lot of things, but those are the generalized emotions behind the choices, yes.” Colel wondered what his choices were and if this would help him make his decision.Magnar leaned back and crossed his legs, followed by his arms. He didn’t know which pathway the cards were indicating. If he chose the one method and died, wouldn’t there be a lot of sadness? But if that method was the other path, then it wouldn’t actually be all that bad. He was just as confused as before, especially now that either outcome could come from either decision he makes.“I hope I didn’t say something wrong.” Colel was continuing to doubt herself - first, with Loke’s unusual reading and now with Magnar’s stuck cards.“No, you read it just fine. I can be a little difficult to read sometimes. What kind of fortunes were you doing in town?” Loke didn’t want Colel to continue to sulk about the reading and tried to distract her with something that could inspire more confidence.“Usually typical money or love fortunes. The women usually ask me how their love life is going with their current lover and the men often ask if they are ever going to make it big or increase their wealth. They’re quick and people are willing to pay decently for it.”“If you don’t mind, then, let me ask you to do a quick fun reading on love.” Loke hoped she wasn’t about to invite any sort of unnecessary questions.Colel looked at Loke with great confusion. She was the last person she expected to be curious about her love life, but then maybe she kept her feelings about it secret from everyone else. Even Magnar sat up straighter, curious about Loke’s sudden declaration.Loke noticed both Colel and Magnar were looking at her with great interest. She needed to explain herself quickly. “I don’t really want to know about my future, per se, since I don’t much care about this sort of trivial matter, but I really just want to know if Ezra is ever going to leave me alone and stop stringing along all these girls in every port. I honestly feel bad for them.”Colel understood Ezra’s transient nature and his appeal to everyone, as she even found herself enchanted by him. But she also understood Loke’s concern about all the disappointment he leaves behind and the stress he causes her. “I can do that, however it will show me other information in the process. Are you alright with that?”“Just don’t tell me. And of course, don’t share them.” Loke hoped Colel wasn’t the gossip that Dias tended to be.“I wouldn’t!” She was slightly insulted that she would even insinuate such a thing, but quickly realized she was just being preventative.“Great!” Loke smiled and glanced over at the suddenly interested Magnar. “What’s got you so concerned?”“Nothing. I just thought that you should probably just get it over with and marry him since no one else is really going to be able to stand you once they realize what kind of person you actually are.”Loke looked at Magnar as a series of expressions washed over her face before settling on anger and she reached over and slapped him. “Go away.”Magnar got up and rubbed his face. He looked down at Loke, who was clearly holding in a lot more anger before looking at Colel, who just shook her head at him. “Yeah, I don’t really care about this anyway.” As he walked away, he couldn’t help thinking that Loke just commented about love being trivial and wasn’t sure why she reacted so strongly to his comment.Colel was concerned for Loke. “Are you alright? Should I continue?”Loke took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m fine. My pride was insulted, but otherwise I’m fine. Please, do continue.”Colel shuffled a different deck of cards and placed them in a different formation than what Loke had been used to seeing. She wasn’t familiar with this style and was rather curious to see how Colel read these particular cards. Colel took a few moments to read them silently before sharing what she discovered with Loke.“So, it looks like I can’t positively isolate or identify Ezra, although it does indicate that there is someone that you’ve known a long time continuing to be part of your life. Although, this isn’t in the portion that indicates romance or other intimate relations. If that refers to Ezra, then he’ll probably still somehow keep in touch, but I don’t think you’ll end up as Magnar insinuated you should. I can’t speak to Ezra’s future specifically without him present at the reading.”Loke seemed content with the reading. “I suppose that’s something. I did say he could continue to write to me, although I suppose he would even if I told him not to. Though, I do hate to ask, but what does this section indicate? I’m not familiar with this style.”“Potential suitors and engagements. This section indicates your destined partner and that one interferences. Do you wish to know what any of them read?” Colel smiled brightly, hoping Loke would want to know what it held for her.Loke thought for a brief moment. “No, I don’t think that I do. But thank you for humoring me.”“Not at all! It’s been a pleasure!” Colel kept her smile and gathered her materials. She wished Loke would have asked for more details, but she enjoyed knowing the results regardless.Cam was looking for everyone to relay a message from Ezra that the boat would be making landfall shortly and to prepare for a rough landing without a dock. The landing near shore was rough, but not as bad as everyone had been led to expect. Ezra helped everyone off from the deck and watched them make it safely to shore before he quickly retrieved the board and got himself away from the coastline as quickly as he could. He didn’t think the waters were any safer than land in this area and he wanted to get closer to any other country that wasn’t Zipan.The water was tremendously cold and the ground on the shoreline was solid and frozen. The night sky, although it was quite late, still had pinkish clouds overhead that occasionally blocked the moon. The group started towards the tree line hoping a place to camp for the evening. Preferably without being discovered. As they approached the trees, a large force armed with spears stepped out from behind the trees. The leader – they assumed he was the leader because his armor was a little fancier than the others - approached the now surrounded group of travelers.“Do you think we wouldn’t notice a ship along our coastline and not seek to inquire about it? State your purpose for coming to Zipan and why you opted to avoid our port.” The leader had some of the soldiers push spears closer toward the group as they started to huddle together.Everyone looked at each other, wondering who would have the most believable story and keep them from being murdered on the spot. Dias remembered something Loke told him and hoped it would keep them from being killed right away. He doubted that they’d be left to their own devices, but they didn’t have time to coordinate a tale.“We were curious about the mysterious forest where people disappear. We’re a bit of a rag-tag group, but we’re very interested in mysterious and unexplained things. This forest seemed quite compelling. That’s the reason why we chartered a boat and came to Zipan. As for not docking at the port, this seems like it would be closer to the forest. We thought we could save a few days from having to travel on foot. That’s all. We didn’t want to disturb your citizens with our sightseeing venture.”Loke was impressed with Dias’s ability to embellish the truth with such ease. She struggled to keep her own secrets quiet but she wasn’t sure she could outwardly lie so elegantly.“Then, you are unaware that our borders are closed to tourists?” The leader focused on Dias.Dias shrugged and kept his tone light, hoping to win some sort of favor. “I’m afraid we had no idea. But we do not mean any harm. Maybe you could direct us toward the forest?”The lead soldier smirked and nodded at his men to take custody of everyone. “Sure, we’ll show you a shortcut.”With everyone being robbed of obvious weaponry and Loke somehow convincing the soldier to let her keep her book even though she would be shackled, they were led through the patch of trees to a caravan. Harshly, they were forced into the back of a wagon and traveled for hours over the icy landscape. The new prisoners did their best to alternate trying to sleep, though most of them found it nearly impossible in the current circumstance. Votan was the only one that seemed rather unbothered and managed to spend most of the time resting. Communication was difficult and every time someone attempted to speak, they were threatened or, in one instance for Balan, punched.After countless hours passed and unfamiliar landscape changed from forests to open lands, the group was taken to a remote fortress and led into the dungeons. Loke and Colel were locked together in one cell while the men and Cam each had their own since they thought they were more of a threat than Loke and Colel. The layout of the cells made it so that no one could see each other, but all their voices could easily echo through the room. All of their belongings had been confiscated when they were apprehended, and though they let Loke keep her book at first, despite her protests, they ultimately took it from her. One of the soldiers wanted to know why she was so desperate to keep it and began to flip through it and called one of his buddies over to show him. Not able to hear their exact, Loke was feeling hopeless and desperate without it. Colel was doing her best to calm her down, but eventually they came back and tossed it at Loke.“She can keep it, it’s got nothing in it anyway.” They walked away laughing, clearly insinuating Loke was crazy and making fun of her.“What scum. But at least you got the book back safely, right? Maybe it was because they couldn’t read it?” Colel walked to where they threw it and picked it up and handed it to a distraught Loke who was still leaning on the bars. As she picked it up and closed it, she noticed that the pages that fluttered past as it closed were completely blank. Colel started to question her devotion to it as she thought it contained all sorts of Biyeho knowledge.Loke accepted the book and held it close to her chest and turned to rest the side of her face on the bars. “I don’t know what I would have done without it. Thank you.”“What’s in there, anyway? Is it grand secrets of the world or something?” Colel leaned on the bars, worried about Loke’s current state of mind.“It’s a lot of procedural history on rituals and ceremonial tradition. It has a few historical stories. Some things that don’t really make sense are scattered throughout.” Loke flipped open a page and Colel noticed words seeming to appear out of nowhere. “This outlines how to properly release a soul so that it can be reincarnated. The incantations, the proper positioning of the parties, all of the miniscule details.”“Oh, I see. I guess they didn’t find any value in that. The writing isn’t easy to read either.” Colel wanted to cheer her up, but could hear the discouragement in Loke’s voice to match her body language.“A lot of it is in the ancient language. It has a lot of transitional elements from the eras between the usage of the ancient language and the common language. It can be rather challenging and I have a few ciphers to go help me through it. But what is important, they gave it back and didn’t give it to anyone that would destroy it or use it against us.” Loke closed the book and held it closely again.Dias was positioned next to the door and was able to see when the soldiers left. He waited another moment before calling out. “Is everyone alright? No injuries?”Everyone expressed that they were uninjured in turn, but Votan was a little delayed in his reply. Magnar thought he was already asleep and missed his name being called a few times, but since no one could adequately see each other, they couldn’t see that he had already lifted the keys from one of the guards and was awkwardly bending to get to the lock on his cell door. There were a more keys than Votan expected a remote fortress to have, but eventually he found the one that opened his door. Pleased with his success, he locked his door once again and waited. He was already getting ready for when they came back to harass the prisoners. They always did. He’d been arrested enough times to know that they enjoyed the power trip. He expected Zipan’s soldiers to be the same as the ones in Wiil and he knew when and how to make his move.The guards did return, as Votan expected them to. He was a little surprised they took longer to realize the keys were missing and ensuring their prisoners were still locked in their cells. Usually they realize it much faster, but Votan assumed that they didn’t get a lot of action in this area and they were slower to monitor their possessions. One of the guards was visually nervous, sweating and pacing erratically down the corridors as if he was looking for something important he misplaced. Votan knew exactly what that guard was missing, though no one else seemed to care that he was looking for something and didn’t give it more than a passing thought. The other guards were distributing dinner to their prisoners. They were rough when they shoved them into the cells that most of the food (though already meager) ended up on the floor. After some harassment and ridicule of their captives, they finally left, slamming the door behind them.The dungeon was cold, as was everything in Zipan, but the stone floors, metal bars, and distance between everyone only made it feel colder. No one said much and everyone did their best to keep warm with the thin blankets they were provided. Votan waited until he was sure the guards weren’t coming back for a while and everything else was silent, except for a few people lightly snoring before he unlocked his cell once more. He had given a lot of thought to whom to free first, considering their skills and how much he personally liked them. He settled on letting out Magnar and Dias, depending who he found first, then maybe everyone else. He passed by the different cells, keeping tabs on where his was in relation to the others as he passed them and noticed that Loke had given her blanket to Colel and didn’t seem to care she was imprisoned and was still doing research of some sort, but he did notice her pace was a bit frantic. He slipped past them quietly, though he wondered if Loke even noticed him. Once he found Magnar’s cell, Votan stuck the key in the lock to unlock the door and nearly jumped out of his skin. Magnar was silent and still as he watched Votan from under the blanket. Seeing that it was Votan at the door, Magnar relaxed and in hushed whispers they were able to find and free everyone else. Saving Loke and Colel for last, since Votan expected Loke was still probably reading, he was surprised to find her and Colel waiting impatiently to be set free.The group argued in near silence, mostly using gestures and a few hushed whispers for clarification. The prison had a small window that half of the group agreed to push Blu or Colel through since they might actually fit but the other half dismissed that idea in favor of going right through the door. Votan had a key so they could exit the room easily enough. What awaited them on the other side was the biggest concern as they were generally weaponless. Even if Colel and Blu made it through the window, there was no guarantee that they would escape safely. Ultimately, they decided to leave through the door and try and move as quietly as possible to escape.Carefully, they all assumed their places, some in their cells appearing to be asleep, Dias and Cam at the door ready to take out the doormen as quickly and quietly as possible.Once the door was unlocked, Votan grabbed the key and bolted towards his cell. If anything, he wanted to make sure they still had their way out if they failed. Dias watched through the small window until it seemed like the time was right. The doormen were easily bored and already half asleep. Dias pulled the door open and Cam slammed her fist into the one’s gut. The other soldier barely had time to react before Dias knocked him out just as quickly. They drug them into one of the cells and locked the door, carefully exiting the dungeon in a single file line. They needed to find their supplies and quickly, before the entire Zipan army was alerted to their escape.The staircase from the basement spiraled higher into the watch tower. Cam led the charge with Dias to disable anyone they should come across while Magnar and Colel headed up the rear. Votan of course didn’t want Colel to put herself into any danger, but after she punched him with “as little power as possible,” he quickly relinquished the second to last spot to her. The ground floor had the occasional soldier milling about, but no one looked as if they were serious about anything in particular. The first floor was full of chatter. It easily sounded like a tavern, which made Cam shake her head and push forward once the coast was clear. At the top floor of the tower, there was a dark hallway with two doors on each side and one at the end of the hallway. They divided into two and each took a side of the hallway, carefully looking into each room. The first room on each side led to an outside balcony, which surely wouldn’t be where they would find their weapons. The second room on the left looked like a small storage room for weapons, but after a quick glance, it didn’t seem to Blu that their items were included. Across the hall, Balan noticed the same, though it was more armor than actual weapons. Together, they only had the one door remaining, unless their items were on lower floors, but those were assumed to be the barracks and the mess hall. Cam assumed that the soldier in charge would be the type to hold onto his spoils.Before they opened the door, Dias was prepared to release an outburst of light to blind anyone that might be in the room. Before they had the chance to open the door, the door opened and the head soldier came charging out towards them. Loke was waiting against the wall beside the door and was able to touch his back in order slow him down just before his sword could pierce Balan’s chest. Votan ran and slid under his outstretched arm to get inside. Balan moved out of his way, but the soldier wasn’t completely stopped and he wasn’t going to stay in slow motion much longer. Votan rushed back to the door with Magnar’s scythe and Cam’s short sword to at least give them something to defend with while he retrieved the remainder of their items. Blu followed him in to grab as much as they could.Cam was able to use her sword to defend against the soldier was he regained movement. When he made a push toward Loke, Magnar shoved her into the room behind the soldier and blocked the door with his scythe.“Get only what we need and get out. I’ll keep him busy.” Cam grabbed the soldier’s arm and pulled him toward her, punching him in the face, as he was the only one they’d encountered so far wearing a full chest plate. She’d preferred not to have to kill soldiers while Colel and Balan were present.While Cam clashed swords with the soldier, Magnar was at the door waiting for everyone to grab supplies and making sure they got past the soldier Cam was fighting. Magnar took a pack from Dias and on their way out, Blu and Votan together dragged Cam’s oversized broadsword to the door. With everyone out of the room, Magnar stepped aside to follow them and Cam was able to push back against the soldier. However, the commotion was enough to have soldiers from lower floors start up the stairs and the group was finding themselves pinched between a high ranking soldier and a crowd of bored infantrymen.“I have an idea, everyone try to follow me!” Balan shouted and grabbed Colel, pulling her through one of the doors that led to the outside. Loke was the next through the door as she was generally useless. Balan had tied a rope to one of the balcony posts and the other to an arrow. He shot into one of the trees at the edge of the nearby woods and pulled on the wood to make sure it was stuck firmly. He knocked over one of the torches that had thinner sticks as their framework and stomped out the fire. He handed Colel and Loke each a stick that felt strong enough not to break and told them to get somewhere safe and that the rest of them would follow. Loke didn’t know what to do but Colel was already standing on the railing with the stick on the top of the rope.“Are you kidding? This tower is four stories high!” Loke called after Colel as she pushed off the wall and zip lined off of the tower. She was terrified to follow and shook as she stood on the edge. Her hands clenched around the stick on the rope but felt frozen in place and wasn’t sure she could follow Colel.Magnar pushed through the door and quickly figured out Balan’s plan and saw Loke parylized on the railing. He shoved his shoulder into Loke’s back, causing her to fall forward, screaming as she glided down the rope and into the trees. Magnar saw Blu’s back approaching the door and tugged on his hood to pull him into the room. Balan handed him a stick, quickly showing him what to do with it. Blu was a little hesitant, but once he saw Loke falling into the snow safely at the end of the rope he followed her without a second thought. Dias and Votan came outside next while Cam was still holding off all of the soldiers in the hall. The soldiers coming up behind the one she had been fighting were met with arrows from Balan while he got Magnar and Dias on the rope and off the balcony. Votan didn’t need any explanation as he was already used to this sort of escape and followed the other men quickly.“Balan, I can’t hold them much more, I’ll be right behind you. Go protect your sister.” Cam shouted at Balan. “If I’m not on the rope by the time you reach the end, cut it. I’ll meet up with you, I promise. I made a promise to your parents to make sure you were both safe, and I intend to keep it.”“But if I cut the rope…”Cam was now using her broad sword to block multiple swords. “Just go! Do what I said!”Balan knew it was futile to argue with Cam and jumped off the wall. He fought back tears as he glided towards the ground. When he tumbled into the snow, he looked up and didn’t see her following behind – only the continued sound of metal clashing on metal. He hesitated with an arrowhead against the rope, knowing he should cut it, but didn’t want to abandon her.Colel noticed Balan ready to cut the rope. “Balan, what are you doing? Cam’s still up there, you can’t cut that!”“She told me to, Colel. If she wasn’t on it by the time I got to the bottom, I should cut it. She promised she’d meet us, but I… I can’t bring myself to do it.” Balan used his empty hand to wipe his eyes.Dias overheard the siblings’ argument and stepped forward, cutting the rope. “Trust her. I’m sure she’ll be back. She’s seen far more difficult battles than what she is facing up there. These men, while trained well, lack experience in actual combat. She’ll quickly quell them. Let’s find a place to hide.”Balan watched as the rope fell limp into the snow and looked up to see shadows of Cam still fighting soldiers. She hadn’t even noticed it was cut. Colel took his hand to comfort him and seek a little comfort for herself. There were shouts from soldiers that had been deployed to find the escapees heading their way to find them. Magnar and Dias grabbed the twins’ hands and pulled them deeper into the tree line.The group minus Cam ran as desperately as they could, not even caring that their footprints would make it easy to find them. When they couldn’t run anymore, they paused and listened, still able to hear the search party off in the distance. Wanting to get a better idea of the distance between them and the soldiers, Blu climbed a nearby tree to see if he could see anything. The woods were moderately thick, but the moonlight that filtered through the trees would occasionally glint off of a soldier’s helmet to give away their position.“It doesn’t look like many of them and they’re moving somewhat slowly. I’ll stay up here and rest to keep an eye on them.” Blu called down. He found the wide branch comfortable enough.Colel was doing her best to not let leaving Cam behind get to her, but since they had stopped, she wasn’t able to push her emotions down any longer and began to cry. Balan hugged her tightly to console her, though he felt just as bad about leaving her behind. Votan wanted to be the one to console Colel more than anything, but Balan had taken away that opportunity.“Well, now I think we’re even further off track, although I have no idea where we are.” Unlike the twins, Magnar was optimistic that Cam would still be able to join them. He had a closer view to her while she was fighting and he was certain he caught a glimpse of a smirk forming. “How long would it take Cam to catch up with us before we figure out where we need to go? This place is nothing but ice and forests.” Magnar was still optimistic that Cam would be able to meet them, but still felt that they shouldn’t remain idle very long.“I don’t think we’re that far off track at all. If anything, we might be closer than expected.” Loke had been looking around the general area while everyone else leaned on trees or sat on stumps, she dropped straight into the snow to sit. “Just beyond the trees behind me should be the entrance. There’s a rather huge sign that says to enter at your own risk. I can’t think of a more appropriate place to go.”Votan looked past her and noticed the menacing sign. “Is that such a good idea? I mean, we’re still waiting for Cam, but if it’s got all sorts of warnings, then maybe we shouldn’t go at all.”“Wouldn’t it be a good demonstration of your strong will to show Colel that you can be brave, Votan?” Dias was egging him on, using Votan’s pride and desires to elicit compliance.Balan had managed to calm Colel down and brought her back to the rest of the group. She apologized, but everyone simply tried to encourage her. Blu was starting to doze off in the tree when he heard the faint sounds of footsteps and armor. He crawled forward to get a better look and only saw a hint of orange hair and a trail of blood behind them. Quickly dropping out of the tree, Blu told everyone what he saw. Balan immediately started running back the way they came. Dias and Colel called after him, but he ignored their calls and kept running.Balan stumbled a few times, but eventually caught up to her. Cam was dragging her large sword behind her, her hair no longer tied up in its usual bun and a trail of blood that was dripping from her finger tips that originated in a gash in her upper arm.“Cam! You made it! Let me help you to the others.” Balan was overwhelmed with relief to see her.“Of course I did. Did you doubt me?” Cam let Balan support her as they walked through the snow.“No, but it was a lot of soldiers and we just left you behind. I couldn’t even bring myself to cut the rope, Dias did it instead.” Balan frowned, ashamed that part of him did doubt she’d be able to join them.“Dias is a wise man.”“Did you run into any of the soldiers on the way? There were some that were following us.” Balan looked behind them but didn’t see anything but their footprints and drops of blood from Cam’s wound.Cam grinned. “There were about five that I came across, but they aren’t in any condition to continue onward.”Colel ran to Cam as soon as she saw her and Balan approaching their temporary camp. She threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. “I didn’t want to leave you behind! They made us run.”“They did the right thing. Colel, you don’t have to worry so much about me. If something happened to either of you, I would have failed my mission, so don’t worry too much about it. Besides, it looks like you’d be in good hands with this lot.” Cam tried to pry Colel off of her without success.Dias noticed the obvious injury to her arm and was already setting forward to heal her and Blu was close behind with the bandages and anything else Dias might need.“I don’t think we should have a problem if we stay here for the rest of the day, but we shouldn’t waste too much time. They’ll probably have support by morning for sure.” Cam finally got Colel to release her so she could take off her armor for Dias to tend to her injury.“Our mystery forest entrance is within view, so that shouldn’t be a problem. If scary warning signs are to be believed, I don’t think they’ll be too eager to follow us in.” Loke barely looked up from her book as she was frantically flipping through the pages and making notes.“And if it is as the warning sign says, we should probably get plenty of rest first. Loke, you need sleep too. I don’t want to have to carry you around because you can’t stay awake.” Magnar gently pulled the pen from Loke’s hand.Loke pouted at Magnar for taking her pen. “When have I ever done that?” She had plenty of occasions when she didn’t get enough sleep, but the times he carried her had nothing to do with working all night.“I just don’t want it to become a new habit.” Magnar held her pen out for her to take back.Loke channeled her displeasure into snatching the pen out of his hand. “Maybe I’ll do just that, out of spite.”“If you do something out of spite, you’re not supposed to announce it. Even I know that.” Votan set up a pile of sticks in the center of the small clearing.Loke proceeded to ignore Votan and kept herself away from the rest of the group setting up a temporary camp in order to finish what she was working on. She had found a page that described how to maneuver through the forest without getting lost. If this was the forest it referenced, then it would be beneficial for everyone if she was able to finish her translation to use as guidance.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Loke did eventually sleep, but she didn’t wake up until everyone was packed and ready to leave. Aside from a few items that she was using to keep warm while she slept, Blu had already packed up most of Loke’s things for her.“How come no one woke me?” Loke felt like she was being watched as she noticed the others mostly waiting for her.Magnar tossed a small piece of fruit at her. “Because I didn’t want to carry you. But you’re up now, right? We should move before more soldiers come. You can eat as we go.”Blu held his hand out to help her up and helped her finish tucking everything away. “I don’t think he is trying to be mean.” He was trying to whisper.Loke shook her head. “No, it’s alright. I was up too late, but I think he might be more forgiving after we make it through this forest.”The entrance to the mysterious forest was just behind the warning sign that Loke had spotted the day before. It had an ivy archway that looked overgrown to the point of not being noticeable. The large sign painted in red had KEEP OUT in large letters and below in what was likely blood was DEATH AWAITS. Everyone hesitated to pass through the arch except for Loke, who didn’t give the sign a second thought and walked through the gate. To everyone watching, Loke seemed to vanish as she crossed under the archway.“We should have let her sleep.” Magnar mumbled as he chased after her. “Don’t just go ahead on your own!”Blu ran after Magnar, and Dias stood at the threshold with Votan looking at Cam and the twins. “You don’t need to continue with us if you do not feel comfortable doing so. Loke would tell you the same, I’m sure.”Cam looked at the twins and left the decision up to them. “It’s up to you two.”Balan was the first to step forward. “Gotta see what’s got everyone all freaked out. Probably nothing important. Besides, I’d rather not get put back in prison.”Colel followed after him. “He’s going to find some way to get into trouble.”“Let's see what all the excitement is, shall we?” Cam smiled and followed the twins with Votan and Dias on her heels.On the other side of the arch, everyone was reunited in a wide, open field of wildflowers. The sun was bright in the sky and the weather was warm and breezy like a summer day. They stood on a path that only seemed to lead straight ahead. There was no visible exit and since everyone that passed under the arch vanished, it stood to reason that others may have witnessed an event and assumed that it was a place where people would disappear.“Loke, what is going on?” Magnar looked at the open fields around them and started to feel anxious about what was to come.“Earth in the wasteland is precious, isn’t it?” Loke smiled at Magnar as she started down the path. “I was up late translating so that we would have general directions, but I need to find something that stands out in order to identify the area. This place is highly labyrinthine and I have no doubt we’ll be lost if we’re not careful. There should also be something to indicate that we’re following the correct path as well, although the passage didn’t specify what that would be.”Magnar didn’t like that particular smile of hers, but he fully understood what she was talking about when she referenced the shaman’s passage. He had reservations about anything Loke was planning in this place, but until they found the exit they would just have to follow her directions. The last time Loke tried to guide them with directions they ended up lost, which worried him more than whatever she had planned for him.Balan started to wander off the path and into the flowers since the path was endless and boring Once he stepped off the path, he quickly encountered creatures that no one had ever seen before. They were plantlike and aggressive only to Balan while he was off the trail. Being terrible at close combat, he was doing his best to dodge and poke at flailing tendrils with one of his arrows before Colel jumped down and knocked it from behind out with a tonfa.“Did you learn your lesson?” Colel lectured Balan.“Yeah, this isn’t the place to play in the field. Got it. Thanks for helping.” Balan was being sarcastic but he was sincerely thankful for Colel’s aid.“That should be our line.” She swung at Balan, holding back to lightly tap him on the side of the head.“What about this thing blocking our path?” Votan pointed at the path ahead toward a giant plant at a three way intersection.“I can’t say I expected that. Anyone have suggestions besides simply disabling it?” Dias was trying to figure out how the plant seemed quite alive.“I vote for simply disabling it.” Magnar didn’t wait for a response from anyone else and was already using his scythe on the vines that were swinging at him.The plant didn’t put up much of a fight and was quickly pruned to a harmless level. It didn’t seem mobile, so without any vines to use as whips, it simply growled at them as Loke led them past it and down the left path. A few steps down the path and the scenery around them changed again, leaving the wildflowers behind and bringing them into a marshland. This environment was much more humid and the smell from the marsh was inescapable. The narrower path was elevated above the marsh and angry crocodile type creatures that were nipping at them from the sides, trying to cause someone to lose their balance and to find their way to becoming dinner.“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Votan sunk a knife into the nose of one of the creatures that snipped at him as it reached the edge of the path.“No, but I trust history. According to records, this is a place created by a spirit to keep people out and generally was used as a way to test people’s determination and mettle. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a lot of traps along the way.” Loke paused, as she reached another intersection.Magnar was sketching out the areas as they walked and paused beside her. “So, which way next?”Loke frowned, wondering if they missed a step in the directions. “It says to go left again, but there is only straight and right. I wonder if they meant to continue on the left path from last time, but it was rather clear in saying to turn left.”“There’s a path to the left, Loke. It’s just under all this overgrown grass.” Blu pulled back the grass like a curtain.“I guess this is why I was supposed to come? This kind of thing is nothing!” Magnar started clearing the grass so that everyone could follow him safely, but it was quickly growing behind them.Partially down the path, the grass was no longer overgrown and it looked much like the fields near Magnar’s own home. He paused to update his map and looked down the path. It looked like it went on for days, but Loke insisted it was two more quick lefts. The intersection appeared after a short distance and before they adjusted to the new scenery they had to turn again.By the time the group reached the seventh area, they were growing tired of unusual animals and plants attacking them. Balan managed to turn it into a counting game, but overall everyone hoped the end was soon.“I’m only about half through the directions. We still have a way to go.” Loke tried not to sound as discouraged as she felt. Magnar still hadn’t told her if he was willing to even attempt to obtain powers of the earth, but she remained encouraged as he hadn’t declined the opportunity.“Let’s rest a bit, then. I have no idea what time it is, but the road is wide enough here to be safe from the creatures.” Cam hoped resting would raise everyone’s morale a little since it was starting to wear thin.While they paused to rest, Magnar started redrawing his map to better fit on a page. He started in an unfavorable place on the page and knew this path would run off the edge of the paper. Colel looked around at the seemingly endless field of wildflowers and frowned, worried they were back at the beginning of the maze.“Wasn’t there something that would identify the correct path? I haven’t seen anything near the intersections to show that we were going the right way or not.”“You haven’t seen them? Sis, you’re totally blind. Whenever we turn, besides the change in environment, there have been some pretty awesome giant beetles lingering near our route regardless if it was some place they would live or not. I thought about bringing one with us, but it would probably freeze outside this place.” Balan was surprised Colel didn’t notice them as she was usually more observant than he was.“Beetles?” Colel made a disgusted face and Balan laughed.“I saw them too. But I didn’t realize that’s what it was for. They have a bit of a gold sheen to them too.” Votan offered Balan some support. He would have wanted to encourage Colel, but he didn’t want to lie to her.“That’s not all.” Magnar stood up to stretch. “The entrances to the wrong routes are lined with a poisonous plant. It looks like a standard weed and similar to the non-poisonous version, but it can be bad news to even touch it.”Colel was a little embarrassed that she didn’t pick up on any of those things and held her knees so she wouldn’t touch anything by mistake. “I had no idea…”“We should probably eat a little before we go again. We don’t have much that doesn’t need to be prepared, but I do have some dried meat for now.” Blu couldn’t tell what time it actually was, but his stomach knew it was time to eat something. They likely weren’t resting long enough for him to prepare anything significant, but something was better than nothing.“Nothing keeps a soldier going more than protein. Thanks kiddo.” Cam graciously accepted a few pieces from Blu and ruffled his hair.After a short rest and a snack, the group proceeded down the path, avoiding the poison plants, fighting more angry creatures and trying to handle the various environmental changes. When they reached the end of Loke’s directions, there was nothing but a simple grass field and the path simply ended. Cautiously, they divided into pairs and looked around the area, staying in eyesight of everyone else. There were no clues in Loke’s text to indicate what they needed to search for, so all they could do was wander around and look for anything out of place.Heading toward a shadow in the field, Loke and Magnar stumbled upon an ancient shrine. Loke immediately crouched to try and decipher the carvings on the stone face. They were worn, but still legible.Magnar stood beside her and crossed his arms. “Are you sure this is a shrine? It’s pretty lacking.”Did he doubt her expertise? After all that they had seen so far? Loke looked up at him with a strong glare, unsure if he was being contrary on purpose. “Isn’t your offering area in your home in Caax also a bit plain?”“But for something so important and old, I figured it would be more impressive than our daily things.”Loke shook her head and went back to reading the stone. It was a small table structure, similar to Biyeho ritual platforms, but much smaller. Words were inscribed on the tabletop, so she didn’t think it was actually used in a ritualistic manner.“So, what does it say?” Magnar squatted beside her and looked at the text.“At face value – nothing. I think it’s a set of instructions enclosed within a riddle. It makes even less sense translated, so I won’t bore you with it. But, essentially, we need to finish our conversation from Ezra’s boat.” Loke looked at the shrine, not wanting to look at Magnar. She was worried he would decline and she would have no way to convince him otherwise.While Loke and Magnar were conversing, everyone else had reconvened a short distance away, but not close enough to hear the conversation. It was obvious they had stumbled upon something but failed to alert the rest of them.“Dias, do you know what they’re talking about over there? Loke’s been pretty mum about this whole situation and she usually tries to use our experiences to teach me.” Blu was starting to worry about this process and wondered if she was doing something taboo.“Not entirely, but since this place seems highly strong with the earth spirit, Trir, I expect that they are trying to figure out if that is a place to make offerings to him.” Dias watched their expressions from where he was and knew it was related to the conversation he witnessed on the boat. Loke might be keeping secrets, but in this circumstance, her expression often betrays her.“What about spirits? Are they like gods?” Colel crawled over and was interested in their conversation. She knew the answer already, but wanted to seem interested and was curious to see how they would reply.“Similar, but a little different. While there are gods for most things, the spirits draw on the elemental particles. Since they affect all the things that the gods control, they’re a tier higher, so to speak.” Dias wasn’t sure they needed a drawn out explanation and wanted to keep it simple. His attention was pulled back to the other two as they were coming back to rejoin the group.“So, what’s next?” Votan crossed his legs under him and leaned back on his hands.Loke fidgeted and was a bit hesitant to figure out how to explain the process in a way that didn’t sound terrible. Magnar interrupted and was quite forward with the process, even if his face showed how uncomfortable the thought of it was. “Basically, we’re going to bury me alive and hope that Trir likes me.”“Bury you alive? Why would you need to go to that extreme?” Cam was appalled at the thought of potentially sending a comrade to his death in such a cruel manner.Loke stared at the ground, hating to have to do this again. It was hard enough with Dias, but even harder with Magnar since they had been traveling together so much longer. “Spirits require an extreme effort. The tablet also asks for a gift from the four corners of the world. I believe we can also provide that. As much as I wish I could ask for your assistance in all of the preparations, this one is to be as private as possible. Trir doesn’t care for spectacle and we will still be in sight. I do ask that once we begin that no one bothers us, regardless of what may or may not happen.”“So we’re going to let you maybe kill him? Is this some why the Tumben are all bent out of shape over Biyeho practices? Because you bury your friends?” Balan was upset and angry by the notion. He thought Magnar was a decent guy and was really starting to hate Loke for have even making the suggestion.Dias could tell it was creating a rift in the group and stepped in before it got out of hand. “Calm down everyone. Balan, this isn’t a common practice, at all. This was a difficult decision that was reached between the two of them. Loke is quite a proficient priestess, despite what you may think of her. I’m certain that approaching Magnar for such a thing was quite difficult for her and even more difficult for him to agree to. Let us just support them and await the outcome. I am quite looking forward to this, personally. It will be interesting to see from the outside this time.”Blu was thankful Dias broke the tension. He wanted to tell the others that they didn’t have to worry since Dias was sitting here with them and not dead, but Dias did it in a much more elegant manner than he ever could. “I agree with Dias. Let’s just see how everything goes. I’m sure it will be alright.”Colel wanted to believe in them, but she was just as nervous about it as Cam and Balan were, though not nearly as angry as Balan was. She looked over to Votan to see if he had anything to add, since he had been with them a while and was silent in regards to this situation. Once he noticed she was looking at him, he flushed and quickly turned away, looking up into the orange and blue sky that hadn’t changed from the first meadow of wildflowers they were in.Loke silently stepped away, feeling awkward while Dias was offering his support and started to pull out supplies that she would need. She had no counter argument to Balan and even to her both this and the previous situation with Dias seemed like a step too far.Magnar sighed and followed after her. “You didn’t have anything else to say? It doesn’t seem to anyone you’re confident.”“I’m not. The instructions are minimal and if I mess up, you’ll suffer. And you didn’t seem to have anything else to say on the matter either.” Loke paused, and stared at her supplies. “I have a lot of preparations to make. You should take this time to make sure you’re ready as well. And ask anything else you need to ask soon.” Loke set the thin ritual clothing beside her and dug through the bag for her small pouches of herbs.“Right, that whole silence thing. Then, let me go through things one more time. I dig a hole, lay in it, and wait for you to push the dirt on. That’s it?”“Yes. Your end sounds fairly simple, but it will be mentally taxing, so be ready for that. This ritual is outlined to be rather time consuming, so that is why I’m encouraging you to make sure you’re ready when you begin. Also, you’ll need to wear this.” She handed him a small handful of tan cloth that was similar to what she wore for her rituals.Magnar unfolded it and grimaced. “I have to wear this?”“Yes. Is it a problem?” Loke tilted her head not sure why he cared what he wore to be buried.Magnar scratched the back of his head. “Yes, well, no, but it isn’t concealing very much.”“Dias didn’t have a problem and you’re making a big deal out of nothing. It’s the same fabric that I wear.” Loke wondered if he was stalling.“But yours is more than a loin cloth.”Loke looked at him in exasperation and disbelief. “Just wear it. No one here is going to notice, let alone care. They have their own worries.” Loke didn’t particularly like her outfit either, but she would never consider altering ceremonial standards unless under dire circumstances. She was already without proper basins and full isolation; she wasn’t going to sacrifice any more than she had to.Magnar grunted and padded off. He sat on a rock and stared at the fabric in his hand for a few minutes before Dias came to talk to him.“Nervous?”Magnar looked up at Dias. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. You made the decision to do that ritual in Nono without hesitation. What made you so confident?”Dias crossed his arms and watched Loke carry a handful of items towards the shrine. “I wasn’t. But I had faith that Loke could perform the ritual as it needed to be done. The process to become a head priest or priestess is quite stringent, which is why there were only a few even before the Tumben decided the Biyeho were a threat. If it wasn’t my destiny to have survived that, I wouldn’t have. You should have some faith in her abilities and trust in your fate.”Colel had approached Magnar hesitantly and held out a stack of cards. “They can show you your future.”Magnar smiled and pushed her hand away. “Dias is right, I should just trust my fate, even if I don’t know what it is. But if it would help, I’ll split the deck and you can look at the card at your leisure.” He grabbed a portion of the deck and turned it sideways so that she could lift it to see the base card later.“We’ll pray for you.” She wasn’t really sure what to say and she wasn’t sure if she should lift the cards, but ran back towards Cam and Balan.After Dias left, Magnar got back up and went back to Loke. “Hey, you’ll need these.” He reached his hand out to her, waiting for her to put her hand out.She realized what he was trying to give her and opened her hand. “Thanks. I nearly forgot. I’m going to begin my process in about an hour. You should start digging before that.”“Sure. Hey, uh, Loke…” Magnar hesitated and looked around nervously, but everyone else had already gotten pretty far away from them even though they were still within eyesight. “If fate isn’t in my favor here, make sure you stop Palen. Make Caax what it once was. I’m sure it’ll turn around next season, but there won’t be anyone to farm it if he doesn’t stop now.”Loke was stunned by his sudden humble tone but was able to smile a genuine smile. “Don’t think too much. I’ll stop Palen. And you’ll be there to help. I wouldn’t have brought you all the way here if I didn’t think Trir would find you worthy.” She sounded confident, but she was just as nervous as he was. She dreaded how she would face everyone else if she failed.“Well, if not, I’ll be sure to haunt you forever.” He brought his hands next to his face as if they were monster claws and tried to make a scary expression.“No one would want that, so don’t die in there either.” She chuckled and went back to the text she needed to memorize in a short amount of time.Blu had been waiting for Magnar to leave before he ran over to talk to Loke. “I know I can’t talk to you soon and you have a lot to do, but I wanted to ask if I should make an offering for protection or something. Would that be interfering?”“It isn’t necessary, but you certainly could. There are plenty of factors that could have an outside influence, but if you ask for protection from those influences, then that could be a big help.” Loke mostly just needed him to keep everyone else from interfering. She wasn’t worried about much else in this isolated place.“Ok. I’ll do that. I don’t want to hold you up anymore. Good luck!”“Make sure everyone gets a good meal and some sleep. This looks like it will be a long process. But if you could have something ready for us after it’s over, I’m sure we’ll both be famished.”Blu smiled. “Of course! I’ll find a way to make a great breakfast for you with whatever we seem to have!”Finally alone, Loke went back to reading and practicing her recitation. Magnar was near the small offering table in his ceremonial clothes digging into the ground with relative ease. This place had to be magical for how easy it was to push his spade into the ground. After he had dug out a decent sized heap of dirt from the ground, Loke came over and collected a small pile of dirt on a dish and walked away to where she had been changing. He didn’t acknowledge her, as it seemed she had already begun her preparations, but he felt like he needed work harder to get the ritual started faster.Loke was used to having to cleanse with fresh water and following it up by some sort of blood accent, depending on the ceremony, but neither were available and neither were called for. In place of water, she washed herself with the dirt from the hole, wincing at the scratches the small rocks made on her arms and legs. She had heard the shoveling stop and looked over the flowers to see that Magnar had finished.Earlier, as Loke preemptively placed the items she would need on the shrine, she only needed to join Magnar near it to begin. Pushing down any doubts, she took a deep breath and headed towards the shrine. She picked up two bowls of oil soaked herbs, placed them near the top of the hole, and ignited them as she began the ceremony. The words were unfamiliar to Magnar and different in tone to those he heard her use at Nono and in Kabra. He knelt beside the hole patiently, watching her hands sprinkle wildflower petals into the hole. He assumed she collected hem while he was digging. After Loke finished with the flowers and her opening refrain, she nodded at Magnar to lie in the hole.Once Magnar got himself comfortable in the hole, he folded his hands over his torso and listened to Loke’s rhythmic chanting while she slowly pushed the dirt back in the hole and overtop of him. She began at his feet and moved slowly, pushing in time with her mantra. Magnar understood why she said it was going to be a long process. She had only reached his thighs by the time he managed to relax and let himself slip in and out of sleep. Between her soft, rhythmic chants and the warmth of the dirt, it was surprisingly relaxing and he didn’t seem to mind whatever would happen to him.As Loke approached his face, her chants changed to an even slower, more drawn out melody. She pushed the dirt around his head, making sure his face would be the last thing covered. From the perspective of an onlooker, she moved steadily and with grace, but her muscles were screaming from the anxiety and repetitive motion.At a distance, the others initially watched Loke begin the ceremony but since they couldn’t hear or see much, they weren’t as focused on it anymore - except for Dias. Dias sat silently, a careful eye observing all of her movements. He wondered if she was crying for Magnar as she had done for him. If she was, her movements didn’t show it.Loke pushed the last of the dirt over Magnar’s face and leaned back on her heels before turning toward the small table. Magnar had given her four seeds from the ones he had gathered from each of the corner countries – Holom, Wiil, Kabra, and Nich and gave them to her as the offering to satisfy the requirement. She took one seed at a time and carefully planted it in each corner of the plot, offering them to Trir. Once she made the offering, she knelt by his side and restarted her mantra while she waited.Although the sky never changed, enough hours went by that everyone had gotten a full night’s rest worth of rest. Even Dias had gotten a fair amount of sleep since there wasn’t any change while he was awake. Once Dias stirred, he looked to where Loke and Magnar had been. There was a substantial amount of vine growth that seemed to form a spherical pod around them, and he couldn’t see inside from where he sat.No one dared suggest getting closer, except for Votan. Votan proposed going to see what was inside the vines in case they got eaten by another weird creature, but Dias didn’t even need to speak to convince him otherwise. A sharp glare was enough for Votan to accept his answer.Within the vines, Loke continued chanting, although her voice was scratchy and barely audible. She had chanted for ten hours without food, water, or rest. Under the dirt, Magnar was having vivid dreams that felt real but also that they were something more. He found himself suspended in air with nothing around him except the same color of the sky in that field of wildflowers.“I hear you’re seeking some great spirit? You should give it up, Trir won’t see you.” A voice seemed to surround Magnar.“Then I’ll stay here until he will. The priestess that sent me here believes that he will, and I am going to trust her judgment.” Magnar didn’t know where to direct the conversation since there was no body to focus on.The voice laughed. “Suit yourself. But she’ll die.”Magnar shook his head. “She won’t. And Trir will see me.”“Because some pretty girl thinks you have what it takes to handle Trir’s power, you’re going to just believe it and listen to what she says?”“No. I’ve never met anyone so devoted to the gods and the spirits and so knowledgeable in their history. She facilitated the spirit of light to my companion and is trying to keep the gods from being forgotten in this ridiculous purge that is happening. That is why I’m going to listen to what she says.” Magnar was doing his best to remain patient, but he knew his body was buried and would rather this was over before he could suffocate.“Is that so? But you do think she’s pretty, doncha?” A smirk could be heard in the disembodied voice.“…Sure. But that’s not important and I’m still not leaving without meeting Trir.”“Even though Trir won’t see you and she’ll die out there while you’re being stubborn and waiting here?”Magnar wondered what the voice was trying to get him to say. He assumed he would be tested, but this wasn’t anything that he expected to encounter. He expected something straightforward. He expected Trir. “I can’t see how she’d be the one to die. I’m the one buried alive.”“No? How about I show you? You see, she’s been trying to offer you and those seeds to Trir all night. And you want to know the truth? Trir doesn’t care about those seeds.”The sky changed to show the inside of the vines. Magnar could see Loke chanting, but she looked weary. He wasn’t sure if he was seeing the truth or an illusion and continued to believe in Loke’s hopes. “Then what were the offerings from the four corners of the world for?”“I think that Trir and the god of agriculture plotted to keep humans from trying to come here. The seeds were the idea of god of agriculture and he is quite fond of these particular plants. You were smart to choose them.”Magnar was relieved the seeds were a good choice but was frustrated that they weren’t even necessary. “I was hoping to bring them back to Caax and farm them after this journey. And what does the god of agriculture have to do with all of this? Why won’t Trir see me?”“Trir won’t see anyone. At least not humans. But if you were a god, then maybe he would consider it.”“I’m not a god. But I would still like to request Trir’s power. And I won’t leave until I do.” Magnar’s patience was wearing thin.“What if I told you that you could be a god? I’m sure it would help your circumstance.”“Like Dias? Wielding the power of a god?”The voice hummed. “Not quite. You would wield your own power. YOU would be the god. All that the god controls would be in your control.”“I don’t think that’s something so easy. It’s only something that’s a theory but no one really knows if it’s true.”“But it is. See this?” A pair of prismatic orbs materialized before Magnar. The larger one was so clear it was only visible when the light hit it the right way. The other had a slight haze but reminded him of soap bubbles he used to play with as a child.“What is that?” Magnar wanted to touch it, but resisted, worried it might burst.“The smaller one is your soul, young farmer. It’s fairly clear, but could use a bit of polishing.”Magnar thought the voice was now judging him, but decided to play along. He didn’t have any other reason to think he was being lied to, but he did think he was being toyed with. “Then what is that orb in your other hand?”“This is the soul of a god. It’s so clear it’s practically invisible.”“It looks like a bubble.” Magnar was trying to follow this conversation and wished Loke could witness it instead. She’d find it far more fascinating than he did.“In essence. That’s one way to explain it. All I would need to do is place your soul into this bubble and over time, your soul would dissolve and you would be fully integrated with this god.”“And I would become that god?”“You would,” the voice confirmed.“And what about me? Would I lose myself in the process?”“You would still be how you wish to be. There’s no personality to change. It’s simply power and all things associated with becoming a god.”Magnar didn’t know what all things associated would mean and he was still suspicious about the proposal anyway. “And those things are?”“Simply things that are associated with being a god of course.” The voice reiterated, not actually answering Magnar’s question. “There are benefits and risks of all transactions. In time I’m sure you’ll come to learn to manage them. It’s a shame, that pretty girl isn’t doing well. Her voice is almost gone. What will you do?”“This feels like a shady deal.”“Think what you must, but I should let you know, if she stops chanting, it will be because you let her die. And of course, being buried, you will die too. Her words are your breath right now. You should consider your options quickly.”Magnar looked at the orb that was supposedly his soul and the bubble that was supposedly that of a god. The voice was undeniably withholding information, but he didn’t think it was lying. “Can I ask which god that belongs to?”“I told you before, you were wise to choose those seeds. The god of agriculture has had his eye on you for some time and fate has finally brought you to this point. This is your chance to become the god of agriculture himself.”Magnar was certain there was a catch to the proposal but if his fate was to become a god, it would still happen. If he accepted it now, he could also meet Trir. The projection of Loke exhausting herself reminded him that his job was to protect her. “Yeah, ok. Fine. If it lets me talk to Trir and keeps Loke alive, then I’ll do it.”“Smart boy.”The soul orb merged into the bubble and Magnar shielded his eyes from the bright light that emitted from the fusion. After the light dissipated, Magnar was alone in the empty space. He looked around and called out for Trir. “Trir? Are you somewhere? Great earth spirit Trir! I come to seek your power!”A short, frail old man appeared out of thin air and approached Magnar. “You’ve been here for some time waiting for me. I see you’ve been using a bit of my power already. But I can detect that you’re no longer just a man.”“So I've been told, although I don’t feel any different.”“You won’t for a while. You will take quite a bit of time before you realize any changes. These marks on your arm? You’ve not noticed them before?” Trir reached out and touched Magnar’s upper arm.Magnar looked at his upper arm and saw faint marks. “I hadn’t, no.”“They’ve been there. They indicate you’ve been marked by a god for observation. The god of agriculture accepted you and as your souls begin to fuse, they will darken and once your full power is reached.” The man squinted at Magnar’s face. “It also seems that you’ll also get some here.” He poked Magnar’s cheekbones with index fingers of both hands. “I’m sure you’ve noticed them on that little lady out there, haven’t you?”“Dias and Blu pointed them out initially. They seem to be getting bigger on her face, though. Especially the one under her left eye.”“Indeed. She probably hasn’t realized it herself, but she’s already begun the fusion process. So you can’t let her die now. Go and get out of here.” The man made a motion to shoo Magnar out.“I can’t without your power.”The man laughed. “Kid, you can already use them. I gave them to you when I was harassing you earlier. Once you said you weren’t going to leave, I gave them to you. You just didn’t notice.”“Wait, that was YOU?” Magnar wasn’t sure if he should be mad at himself for not noticing or relieved that it had been a success.“We spirits can be a tricky lot. But go on. You should be able to break through that dirt on your own. Do great things. Become a giving god.”“I will great spirit. Thank you.” Magnar bowed to the man as he disappeared and he felt himself leaving the dreamlike state and while he wasn’t quite aware of what he was doing, he pushed through the surface and sat up.The force of Magnar pushing out of the ground forced Loke backwards and caused her to stop chanting. She could barely manage a whisper and didn’t have the energy to do anything but smile before she collapsed. Magnar pulled himself out of the hole quickly and went to make sure she was still alive. She was breathing, but it was shallow and he knew she pushed herself too far again.The four seeds had sprouted and created a woven dome around them, but Magnar was easily able to separate it to carry Loke out to everyone else. Dias had been paying careful attention to the dome the entire morning was quick to his feet to meet them half way.“She doesn’t sound good. Dias, can you help her?”Dias had Magnar place Loke on the ground and he leaned in to listen to her breathing. “I don’t think there’s anything physically wrong, but I can see what I can do. Get as much water as we have and have Blu bring the first aid kit. She has a lot of scratches and her hands are worse than usual.”Everyone else was watching from a distance and scrambled to Dias’s orders once Magnar relayed them.“What happened in there? What did you do to her?” Cam was already trying to gather blankets but was suspicious of the situation.“I didn’t do anything to her. I was in the ground until a few moments ago.” Magnar was still covered in dirt from head to toe.Dias frowned at their dwindling water supply. “She’s exhausted and very dehydrated. She needs more water than this and we also need to clean this dirt off of her.” It was a wonder everyone wasn’t feeling unwell from dehydration.Magnar went back to the vine dome and looked it over for a moment. He dusted himself off the best he could and quickly changed. Picking up his scythe, he carefully cut through the thickest vine that ran through the dome. Unweaving it from the other vines, he dragged it to where Loke was and dropped it next to Dias. “Will this help?”Votan realized what the vine was as soon as he saw it trailing behind Magnar. “Is that a water ivy?”“It is. There should be enough water in here, for now at least.” Magnar watched as Dias took the vine. Blu was already wiping the dirt off of one of Loke’s arms.Votan was still amazed at the presence of the plant in Zipan. “Water ivy is from Wiil, but even there it’s super rare! Why is it here?”“Because Loke planted it as an offering. So, on her behalf, I’m thankful you didn’t steal my seed pouch back then.”“But still, those take years to grow even a little bit. Something that big would need decades! I never even saw one that big. What happened over there?” Votan craned his neck to see the remnants of the plant dome.“Votan, you can ask more about it later, for now, you can help me get water out of this thing.” Dias held the end of the plant towards Votan.“Loke said I should have a good breakfast for both of you. It isn’t much, but, I did manage porridge with what we had.” Blu had stopped wiping down Loke’s arm and pointed to a pair of bowls that were placed on top of their pile of supplies. “It’s probably cold now, though.”“Thanks. I don’t know if I could bring myself to eat right now.” Magnar was hungry but wanted to make sure she was stable before he relaxed.“We already ate and you look like you’ve had a bit of a trial.” Cam was using her short sword on the thinner end of the vine to extract water to clean Loke’s skin. “We’ll take care of her now, so go eat.”“Cam, why does she have so many cuts?” Colel had brought Loke’s regular clothing.“It seems she cleansed with the dirt instead of water before the ritual and the small rocks had given her some abrasions. We just need to clean them so that they don’t get infected.”“You sound a little like Dias, Cam.” Balan tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere.“Do I?” Cam looked at Balan, who looked like he was itching to run in circles. “Well, I did see my fair share of injured soldiers get worse wounds from things that seemed small and insignificant. Things like this were the least we could do to help our comrades.”Balan felt completely useless. Everyone had some sort of job and there didn’t seem to be much he could do to help. He went back to the makeshift camp and started packing the rest of their things. He was too idle and he was getting antsy. He also was curious to know what happened and if Magnar was now able to use Trir’s powers. He was relieved that after all that time Magnar seemed to be perfectly fine.The magic that created the forest was starting to fade, starting with the orange-blue sky. It began to darken and the comfortable summer temperatures began to drop rapidly. Cam and Colel had gotten Loke changed and Dias had been watching over her while she slept, but he didn’t think she was going to be woken up anytime soon. In Balan’s idleness, he had randomly started pointless arguments with both Colel and Votan. Cam was preoccupied with trying to stomp out a war that was brewing between the trio over something insignificant. Blu and Magnar were using the remaining vines to weave a sled so that they could drag their supplies or Loke as needed. Magnar wished he had a bit more time to talk to Trir about everything that was going to happen to him during his transition. He was also curious as to what god Loke was fusing with and why she wasn’t aware of it. If she was hiding it, he doubted Trir would have said that she didn’t realize what was happening.By the time the entire forest disappeared, the group was left in the snow in a clearing just past the archway.While it didn’t seem that anyone was still chasing them, they had no idea where they were or where they should be going. Typically, Loke was the one that dictated their destination, but no one could agree on where to go. Balan and Colel insisted that they weren’t going to Tohil and Magnar and Dias agreed that traveling to Yopa and Caax wouldn’t be particularly wise at this time. Blu mentioned that Loke once suggested checking out something in the south of Wiil, but there was something she needed to do that and he didn’t know if she figured out what it was.As everyone continued to argue, no one noticed that Loke had woken up; confused by the scenery, the fighting, and the fact she was in her regular clothes. The last thing she remembered was Magnar breaking through the ground and knowing that he had to have been successful.“Why is everyone arguing?” Loke squinted at the bright moon above.Blu was the first one to react and ran to hug her tightly, nearly knocking her over. “I was so worried about you.”“Welcome back.” Dias put his hand on Blu’s shoulder to pry him off his patient.“Thanks, both of you. But can someone explain what’s going on?” Loke felt like she was asleep for weeks.“We’re trying to figure out where we should head to next. We can’t seem to agree on a destination though.” Colel’s arms were crossed, mostly because she was in a sour mood.“Why don’t we just try to find a village? We never had a solid idea of where we even were in this country.” Loke’s mind was still hazy and she felt like there were significant gaps in her memory.“I’d agree with Loke since we should replenish our rations and come up with our strategy for proceeding from there. Except that they’re looking to arrest us and most of the cities are said to be full of soldier training.” Cam initially thought the same as Loke did earlier, but quickly realized that it was naïve and they would likely end up back in prison or just killed on site.“We can’t just sit here, have to move. Maybe we’ll just get lucky and find something along the way.” Magnar handed Loke her book that he had been holding on to.Dias nodded. “I agree; we do need to keep moving. Sitting here will get us absolutely nowhere. Not to mention that in situations like this, the women, children, and elderly are often not in training, so they would have to be somewhere, either in the towns or relocated to another village. This was a common thing during the war in Nich. Those that were not fighting were often led to a village that was out of the way in the event of an attack from the enemy, they would still be safe. While things seem a bit militaristic everywhere in Zipan, they would still need to put them somewhere safe. Often, they would be the most sympathetic to causes such as ours.”“Village of women and children or a town of soldiers, at this point, let’s just go anywhere.” Balan was getting tremendously restless and it was wearing on the others that were already frustrated with him or the situation.
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Once through the woods, the open fields of ice seemed to go on forever. Disoriented since the watchtower, the group headed west based on one of Colel’s readings. Cam and Dias slipped into one town for reconnaissance which ended up being entirely full of soldiers. No one asked how they managed to evade arrest, but Cam learned about a village that wasn’t too far away from this town that most of the women, children, and elderly had been transferred to. Initially, Loke, Cam, and Colel entered the village, leaving the men behind. Cam found a small group of elderly women playing cards and asked to join the game. Loke and Colel stood silently to the side and watched as Cam explained that they were sailing from Nich to Caax, but a storm set them off course and they got shipwrecked in Zipan. They escaped arrest, but were now looking for a way back to a port to try and get home. Loke was fascinated with the ease Cam was able to spin the story. Her storytelling skills were far from exciting. She was banned as a priestess from taking jobs telling stories because she ended up giving lectures to the small children instead. Colel watched Cam purposely lose a few hands to win their favor.After a few more rounds with the occasional win and mostly losses, Cam had procured two rooms for everyone to share divided between two different homes. The first house had Loke, Magnar, Blu, and Votan while the second housed Cam, Dias, and the twins. They couldn’t have been happier to have a roof over their heads.“I can’t believe I’m stuck with you three. I’d much rather be with Colel.” Votan was sulking while he sat against the wall.“I doubt you could make any good impressions tonight, Votan.” Magnar was doing his best to thaw out his hands now that they were sheltered from the outside.“Is this place really ok?” Blu worried they would be betrayed by the people in the village.“I can’t say for certain, but the old couple that is letting us stay here seems kind. They seemed to have a lot of concern for everyone when I spoke with them earlier. Cam really sold our desperation and they were quite sympathetic.” Loke burrowed under a blanket trying to feel warmth that she last felt in Trir’s labyrinth.Magnar wondered how she still managed to be so trusting after all that they had been through. “Yeah, but you can’t be so naïve, Loke. Just make sure you don’t let your guard down too much.”“I know. But it would be nice to be able to just have some time to not have to worry about being hunted down.” Loke was already using her book as a pillow and staring at the ceiling.“Maybe we should go somewhere like that when we get out of Zipan. I don’t know where the best place for that would be.” Blu didn’t know where they should go, but given how tense everyone had been lately, somewhere with fewer threats would be nice.“That sounds nice. Hopefully tomorrow we can figure out where we are and getting out of here is going to be the next challenge. Let’s all just get some rest tonight.” Loke, for once, was heading to sleep long before the others.In the other house, Balan was still restless and causing Colel more stress.“Tomorrow you can probably play with the kids or something. Just stop complaining!” Colel threw a shoe at Balan.Balan caught her shoe and tossed it back at her. “Yeah, or something. We’ll probably be right back into the vast icy nothingness with nothing fun to do except wander aimlessly while we slowly freeze to death.”“That is something we’ll deal with tomorrow. We should all be grateful for this opportunity and get a good night’s sleep for once.” The twins’ were fighting more than usual and it was wearing Cam down.Dias quietly observed their dynamic. It seemed that each segment of their ever-growing group had their bickering pair. He was used to sleeping through it with Loke and Magnar, it would be comparable to sleeping through a disagreement with Colel and Balan - unless he happened to get hit with a stray shoe.Loke was pulled out of a shallow sleep and woke up to see Magnar heading out the shared room. Votan and Blu didn’t seem to have noticed it and were both still fast asleep. She got herself up and set out to follow him, keeping the blanket over her shoulders. In their room, they decided not to keep watch, but Magnar was still up at his typical watch time. Loke caught up to him easily, as he paused in the middle of the street to stare at the sky. He hated the bitter cold, but something about the stillness of the night eased his mind.Magnar heard Loke’s boots crunching in the snow and turned to see her approaching him. “What are you doing out here?”“That’s my line. It’s freezing and we have a warm place to stay for the night, why did you come out here?” Loke hoped there wasn’t anything else she needed to worry about.“I just wanted to think about that day with Trir. It’s been hectic ever since, so I haven’t had a lot of time alone to process everything that happened.”Loke rubbed her arms. She hadn’t asked him about it and it never seemed to be something he wanted to discuss. Everyone was cold, tired, and stressed, so she didn’t bother to bring it up. “Then, I guess I’ll let you think for a while. Sorry to bother you.” Loke started back towards the house.“No, it’s alright. I wanted to talk to you about it anyway.” Magnar started to reach out for her and pulled his hand back before she turned around.Loke sighed, wishing she stayed inside. “That’s fine, but can we not do that in the middle of the street?”Magnar walked towards Loke and past her to the side of the house where a few barrels and crates were stacked. He brushed off the snow and found that they made a useable chair. Loke followed and sat crossed legged on a crate.“What was it that you wanted to talk about?” Loke realized every time they needed to have a talk, it had to do with her situation and never about his.“I didn’t really want to talk about this in front of everyone, but a lot more happened than I expected and I’m not sure what to make of it.”“Well, you got yourself out, so I figured you had success with the earth spirit.” Loke did want to ask him about any details he could remember.“It was, but Trir was frustrating. He left me with a lot of questions and no time to ask them because he wasted so much time taunting me. He kept telling me that I was going to kill you if I didn’t act quickly and it felt like he was intentionally dragging things out.”Loke watched Magnar clench a fist and she wasn’t sure if she’d actually seen him express anger outside of mentioning Palen. “Trir is known for being a bit eccentric and isolated,” she offered.“That’s not really what’s on my mind, though. It was something else.” Magnar sighed. He worried about how to approach the topic – especially to Loke.“Something else? You don’t glow like Dias or seem to be randomly muddy.”Magnar felt some of the tension ease. He knew she was being serious but it cheered him up a little, regardless. “No, Trir somehow showed me something that he said was my soul.”Loke’s interest perked and she sat a little straighter. “He showed you your soul?”Magnar looked away from her and felt his face warm. “Yeah, but not just mine. One that belonged to a god, too.”“Wait. Are you telling me that you… Are you a god, Magnar?” Loke was a bit stunned, yet could feel excitement building up within her.Magnar glanced at Loke and could see her eyes wide and hopeful. “I think so? That was what I wanted to talk to you about. He placed my soul within the one he said belonged to a god. But he said it would take a bit to fuse. I don’t really know what to expect. Supposedly it’s a gradual thing, so I’m not really a god yet? Or I am and I don’t have any abilities? I thought that maybe what you went through in that temple room in Kabra was some sort of god making process for you and maybe that is what I can expect.”Loke shook her head. “No, that was a safeguard for the information I was privy to. I never had any sort of subconscious interactions that you or Dias had. I doubt I’ll ever be a goddess. I’m not sure I want to. I have enough responsibilities already. But for now I can observe through you!”Magnar remembered that Trir mentioned she might not be aware of her situation and he had been debating telling her. He decided that it was best if he didn’t say anything and let her learn for herself. It wouldn’t do her much good, but only cause her more worry and grief - which would probably make his life all the more stressful.Loke noticed he still seemed troubled. “You shouldn’t worry too much about it. He said it would take time, right? I’m sure it’ll be fine. And you’ve done quite well at keeping my secrets, I can certainly keep this one for you. By the way, which god was it?”“Agriculture. Seems appropriate, at least, right?”“I don’t know a better farmer.” Loke smiled at him.“You don’t know any other farmers.” He panned.Loke feigned being offended. “That’s not true. At least, I might know another farmer, maybe.” She climbed down from the crate and adjusted the blanket over her shoulders. “Ok, fine, I don’t personally know any other farmers. I’m going back to bed. Don’t stay out too long, it’s starting to snow again. But I’m probably going to ask you questions later.”Magnar looked up to see a few flakes falling down. “Yeah, I expect that you will. I’ll be in soon.”The next morning, Blu was preparing food for the elderly couple that took them in, as well as the four of them that were staying there, three of which he thought were still sleeping. Magnar woke up to see Loke staring at him with a strange smile on her face.“Why are you staring at me like that? It’s creepy. Don’t you have a book to read or something.”“Do you feel any different? Did you learn something new?” Loke had some time to take in what Magnar told her and she was overflowing with excitement to learn more about it.“It’s been four hours, nothing changed. Go away.” He tried to roll over but bumped into a snoring Votan.Loke pouted and left him alone, but she vowed to ask him about it often. She didn’t want to miss anything in the transition.In the other house, Balan was already outside looking for someone to play some games with him. Dias was flipping through a local pamphlet he found and Cam was trying to get some breakfast together for the three of them that were left, leaving Colel to feel bored watching everyone else.“Dias, what is Loke trying to do if she won’t try and speak with the person that’s actually ordering all the genocide?” Colel was starting to wonder if they shouldn’t have tagged along after all.Dias looked up and at Colel before looking back at the pamphlet. “It would be suicide for all of us to do such a thing. We need to weaken Saal’s influence first.”“How are we going to do that? Does Loke even have a plan for that?” Not that Colel cared much about a plan, but traveling required expenses and their finances was something she cared heavily about.“I believe she has something in mind, although it seems to be a little fluid. I have no doubt she wants to stop this more than anyone else given her position, but she is aware that she shouldn’t be exceedingly reckless. I would suspect we are going to visit a number of places before actually trying to face some of the more difficult people head on. I expect you understand, as you and Balan are not Tumben at all, are you?” Dias finally looked directly at Colel.Colel shifted nervously and spoke in a barely audible whisper. “No, we’re not. How could you tell?”Dias removed his glasses to wipe the lenses. “In all honesty, you’re not very good at pretending to be Tumben. Fortune telling was your big tell, but how the two of you seem to be trying particularly hard to hide it makes it more obvious.”“Does anyone else know?” Colel was worried what would happen to her family if it was known she wasn’t Tumben at all.“I couldn’t say if anyone actually knows, but Loke for one is suspicious. I don’t know what reasons you have for hiding it, but it would be easier if you didn’t have to hide it, wouldn’t it? Considering our travel companions, I’m confident they will still accept you and your brother.” Dias put his glasses back on and looked at her. “We have to be able trust each other. Our lives are depending on that.”Colel didn’t know what she wanted to say in return. Without a response, she decided to leave and find Balan as a distraction.The people in the village were quite intrigued with the visitors. Zipan was so cold and unwelcoming that they considered visitors quite the novelty. The children loved Balan, as they had someone new to play with and were able to learn a few more games. The group decided to accept the invitation to stay another night, but of course they had to be cautious, as it would be easy for the military to find them if they lingered too long. Despite the risk, the extra day proved to be rewarding. Once Magnar learned of their location, Loke was able to consider their next destination. She had it narrowed to two locations but she wanted to consult with Cam before making her final decision.Cam found Loke having a cup of hot water inside one of the houses. “I heard you were looking for me. Is something wrong?”“Not wrong, per se, but I thought we should talk about a few things before we leave tomorrow. Getting out of Zipan is going to be difficult. I don’t know how we are going to leave the country, but I do want to have a solid destination that isn’t just ‘away from Zipan.’” Loke gestured at the chair beside her.Cam accepted Loke’s offer and sat. Loke hadn’t spoken to her one on one like this and after witnessing the discussion with Magnar, she wondered if she should be worried. “I figured we would have this discussion as a group, but what were you thinking?”“There’s an ancient ceremonial platform in Tohil that I wanted to visit, but it seems that the twins are quite against going there. I don’t expect you to explain the reasons, but is there no part of Tohil that we can explore?” Loke knew if she brought it up with everyone present, it would lead to an argument and distractions they didn’t have the time for.“They’re from the capital, so avoiding that area would be best. I haven’t spent a lot of time in Tohil, so I’m afraid I wouldn’t know where that platform would be.”“My other option would be to look into a possible spirit in the south of Wiil, but I need to confirm something with you. I’ve noticed that you seem to have a bit of an affinity to darkness...” Loke worried she might be asking too much of Cam, but needed to ask anyway.“I’ve always had an affinity to darkness. My abilities should have demonstrated that long ago. If darkness is what you need, then it won’t be a problem.” Cam noticed Loke’s expression shift from her usual state of concern into an expression that bordered on fear and sadness.“So you’re aware?“Of course! You don’t become a seasoned soldier without learning a trick or two. My eye patch isn’t because I’m blind or injured; it’s to prepare for visibility in any dark situation.” Cam grinned and lifted her eye patch. Nothing was physically wrong with her eye and aside from a few extra blinks to adjust to the light in the room, there were no other anomalies.Loke was stunned. “I never would have guessed, especially with the scars you have.”“Trade secret. I trust you can keep that one.” Cam winked at her and lowered her eyepatch.“Absolutely. I did have one last question for you, though. You don’t need to feel obligated to answer this either. Are the twins actually Biyeho?”Cam was quiet for a moment and took a few deep breaths. “I don’t understand why they haven’t come forward, especially since everyone else is. I’ll see if I can’t convince them to be more honest. I’m sure it would be easier for them to stop lying to themselves as well. And if it helps, Colel has affinity to fire and Balan to water.”“That does help, actually. Thank you Cam. For what it’s worth, I think we’ll head to Wiil first, to not stir the pot with the twins too much right away. Then it will be easier to get to Tohil from there. I know they won’t like it but they can stay in Wiil if it makes them too uncomfortable. Wiil is fairly safe in regards to religion, but they don’t take kindly to foreigners. I’ll let everyone know before bed tonight where we’re headed.”"Did you need anything else from me?”"No, not now. But thank you." Loke was almost afraid to know what kind of ill effects would have befallen her if she tried to mess with darkness. Light temporary blinded her, would darkness have done the same?Magnar made the most of his day and was able to sit with some of the elderly and draw out a fairly good map of Zipan and the village itself. He had a lot of input from people that he was almost able to create a fairly useable layout for a few of the towns and cities, although he was instructed to avoid them at all costs. They also outlined where a few more dungeon towers were placed and the best way to reach the northwestern port and who to ask for to get out of Zipan. He couldn’t have asked for better assistance.Dias, free from Colel, stayed inside from the cold. He was able to watch from the window as Balan had rounded up the village children and was playing some sort of game with them. Colel and Blu also seemed to be playing along, which made Dias worry a little less about Blu. He was typically observant and quiet while sticking around him, Loke or Cam. It was nice to see him being active with people his own age in regards to Colel and Balan.During the night, the elderly woman of the house came to the back room and shook Loke awake.“Miss! Miss! You all need to leave at once!” She spoke rapidly, but in a whisper.Loke rubbed her eyes and looked up at the woman. “What’s the matter?”“Someone in this village reported all of you. You need to leave at once. Supposedly they’re sending an assassin to kill you all. Please, for your sakes and ours, you need to leave.”As Loke was listening to the woman, she snapped into a very alert state. She woke up Magnar, Blu, and Votan and they quickly got their items together and left through the backdoor, leaving a few coins to compensate them for their hospitality. The other half of the group given the same message and they met up quickly between the two homes.“Who would have done such a thing? It couldn’t have been the kids.” Balan rubbed his eyes with one hand and stretched his other arm.“It doesn’t matter, we need to go. Loke, we’re heading to Wiil, correct?” Cam adjusted her swords but looked like she had been waiting to leave for some time.Loke nodded. “Yes, but we need to reach the northwestern port. Magnar, you have the way to go?”Magnar grinned and held up his efforts from the previous day in the form of a well-drawn map. “I do. I even have evasive routes. I just hope they’re not anticipating us there as well.”“We can worry about that later, let us move, quickly.” Dias was already starting to walk towards the edge of the village.It was only a few hours before Betti arrived to the small village calling out for the strong, pretty boy and the trashy girl that tagged along with him. Most people had come out of their homes as a result of the din, but his prey was nowhere in sight. No one confessed to seeing them and as he tore through houses looking for them, he wasn’t able to find any trace of them. The only one that seemed insistent that they were there was a boy that typically bullied the other kids and Balan intentionally excluded from the other games. Betti thanked the boy for wasting his time in the cruelest way imaginable before storming out of the village to the east. Even the kids he bullied would have never wished that gruesome death upon him.Having escaped the village, the information Magnar had acquired was more helpful than he could have imagined. The group reached the northern port without incident and using the contacts from the village elders, they had no problems securing passage on a ship out of Zipan. As they headed south toward Wiil, Votan mustered up the courage to talk to Colel, outside of following her around the ship reciting terrible poetry and calling up empty promises.“Votan, if you’re here to try and impress me with whatever random words you’re trying to spout, please, please go away.”“No, I’m not here to do that. I promise. I just…I just wanted to learn more about you, that’s all.” Dias suggested to him that he try and find out things about her and make her feel important instead of simply rambling about her beauty, so he thought he could see if it helped.Colel wasn’t expecting him to sound sincere and even more, to actually try to know her. She wasn’t opposed to a conversation as long as he avoided his usual pandering. “What did you want to ask? There are some things girls won’t answer, you know.”Votan wasn’t actually prepared for her to agree to talk to him and was caught a little off guard, even if her tone carried a familiar edge. “I, uh, what made you use the tonfa? Is it popular where you’re from?”“I guess because they were different. Balan had already chosen the bow and arrow and I didn’t want to do the same thing that he was doing. Since he is better suited for distance, I chose the tonfa for close combat defense. I don’t think they are terribly popular, though.” She was surprised Votan seemed to be listening to her, though his gaze was too intense. She wondered if he blinked.Blu and Dias were watching Votan exchange with Colel from the other side of the boat. They couldn’t hear, but the body language seemed to tell them it was an honest and awkward conversation.“I guess Votan took your advice with Colel?” Blu suggested.“It looks that way. Hopefully he won’t go and get himself into bigger trouble. He has a tendency to say things that aren’t proper or polite, although I suppose that living as he did, he wouldn’t have learned about intricacies of all sorts of manners.” Dias wondered what topic Votan brought up and hoped that if he learned anything interesting, he might share.“Balan is better at talking to people than he is. At least, he seems to know how to approach them and what to say. I wonder if I would be able to be able approach people like Balan does, someday.” Blu often wondered if he was a hindrance to the group since he was afraid to talk to strangers. He liked tagging around with Loke to do the shopping. She didn’t mind carrying things if she spoke to shopkeepers in his stead.“I don’t see why not. You’ve already become comfortable talking with most of us and you warmed up to Cam quite easily.”“I don’t really say much to her, though. I just listen.”“But you’re comfortable around her, and that’s something that counts. Sometimes you don’t need to say a lot of things to express what you’re thinking. Just look at those two.” Dias pointed to Loke and Magnar.Loke was staring at Magnar again. Dias imagined her as a dog begging for scraps from their owner. She looked like she was trying to ask him something and he was growing more and more irritated at her following him around.The boat was secure and Loke could wander about on her own or go back to reading. Magnar hated that he told her anything about his private concerns and by the time he reached the front of the boat he turned to her and yelled. “Just stop tailing me around. If something changes, I’ll tell you.”Blu laughed. “I guess you’re right. Though, I wonder why she’s so interested in following him around. Usually they avoid each other when they can.”“I’ve been wondering that myself. Something must have happened during that ceremony, but her sudden interest in his every move didn’t start until we were in that village. You were in the house with them, did you notice anything strange?” Dias was trying to guess at what might have happened between them.“Not really. On the second morning, she was already watching him sleep when I got up to prepare breakfast.”Dias was sure something happened beyond Magnar meeting with the earth spirit. “I suppose we’ll find out when we need to.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Upon arrival to the southern port in Wiil, they spent several days in the inn, as sickness passed through the group. Despite needing to take the time to rest, it was a welcome change for all of them, giving their bodies and minds time to recover from the turbulent seas. The only ones that weren’t bedridden were Balan, Votan, and Loke. Any time Loke would attempt to leave on her own, she got a lecture from Magnar. Somehow, no matter how asleep he seemed, he could always tell when she was trying to sneak out. Neither Votan or Balan wanted to follow her around, but reluctantly one would go with her if she was picking up food for the group. Balan especially would volunteer to go shopping with her because he could convince her to let him buy unnecessary things easier than he could Colel. Colel at least could trust Loke to keep Balan from going overboard with spending.Wiil was as oppressively hot as they remembered it and having been the first visit for Colel, Balan, and Cam, they weren’t enjoying the heat either. Votan was recommending methods to keep cool, but it didn’t seem to keep anyone cool enough to be anything but miserable. The fever that most of them had didn’t help much either.Once everyone was well enough to travel, the group was escorted back to the mainland in pairs. The port town was still empty, but Votan noticed it seemed to have more traffic than before. He knew he didn’t imagine it and while Magnar asked the locals about the town that was under constant daylight, Votan found residents from other towns – including Nakbe. He was right that there were more people about, but he was somewhat surprised they came because they heard about a miracle nearby but were disappointed that there wasn’t much to the rumor. Curious, Votan grabbed Dias and continued to ask more people about it.“Dias, I was right that there are a few more tourists here. You need to hear some of these rumors.” Votan pulled on Dias’s armDias followed willingly. “Just don’t stray too far from everyone else. It sounds like they’re getting directions.”“Yeah, it’s fine.” Votan led him to a woman and her young daughter. “Miss, can you tell him what you told me? About the miracle?”The woman looked nervous when she saw Dias, but she nodded in agreement. “I came from Nakbe because I heard a rumor about a place nearby that a miracle occurred. The stories are a little different but they say the same thing. A man was sacrificed in the name of the spirits only to come back to life. Then there are some that say he could glows in darkness, but I wanted to come and see this place for myself and if any of the stories were true.”Dias understood why Votan had brought him to hear her story. “A miracle did occur. Many may doubt you, as sure as I stand before you, those stories are true.”The woman’s eyes grew wide and she grabbed Dias’s hands. “I knew it! I was ridiculed for believing such a thing, but in my heart I knew it was true. Did you witness it?”Dias glared at Votan as he tried to stifle his laughter. “Front row to the entire spectacle. I know many may not believe you, I’m sure there are plenty that will.” He pulled his hands from the woman’s and put them on her shoulders. “Thank you for sharing your story. I need to rejoin my friends.”Dias waved at the woman as he walked away and Votan trotted behind him, wondering if he did the right thing. “Was it okay to even acknowledge her story as true?”“Yes, Votan. It was the right thing to do. Don’t tell Loke about it, but I think this is the start of something that is going to help her in the long run.”“I don’t understand…”Dias smiled. “You don’t need to understand it, just believe it.”Magnar only had a small section of this part of Wiil charted out, but he was at least able to learn of other small oases along the way. The town that was currently bathed in light was told to be near a large oasis, but it had been mostly abandoned due to the constant light and extreme heat. All of the people that knew about it expressed similar concerns and warned them to avoid the area. The warnings only made Loke want to go there even more. Though they were already complaining about the heat on the coast, they continued to follow her lead anyway.The town was easy to see during the night, as it was a bright spot in the distance. Finding the temperature more tolerable at night and the early morning, they shifted their traveling to the night, careful to look out for the large bug creatures they often encountered in the dark. Cam often lead the group, as she seemed to see the details better than anyone else and was able to lead them away from dangerous plants and wildlife.It was still in the pitch black of night when they reached the ghost town. The stark change from the darkness of night to the full brightness of noon was unlike anything anyone could have imagined. There was a clear line in the sand where there was darkness and where there was light. Already the temperature difference was immense and it was hotter than any other day the group had spent in Wiil.“So, what are we looking for here?” Magnar was trying to seek shade under an awning, but even the light seemed to find him there.“Since Dias freed Lusaa, Oskuab needs to be freed to restore the balance between light and dark. There should be something here that would seem out of place. That should be where we’ll find the key to this.” Loke was having a hard time trying to see in the brightness and shielded her eyes the best she could to look around.“Besides the fact it’s this ‘bright in the middle of the night’ out place?”Loke gave Magnar a look of disdain. “Yes, something besides the obvious.”Votan interrupted Loke and Magnar’s bickering. “Before that, I think we should be careful. I don’t think we’re alone here. I always heard rumors in Nakbe about this being a place for bandits to use as a base.”“What, they didn’t have any thieves' guild or something you could have joined?” Colel was extra sharp to Votan. They had been civil lately, Votan likely managed to say something inappropriate to her recently.“I told you, I’m not doing that anymore! Just that one time in the dungeon so we could all get out of there.” Votan was visibly upset, but his expression changed to suspicion quickly as he pushed Colel forward, causing her to fall.“What did you go and do that for?” Colel yelled at him, but as she turned to look at him, she quickly realized that someone else was in this town and didn’t take kindly to them being there.Votan pulled the throwing knife out of his shoulder and tossed it aside. “I think we should go somewhere else.”“Agreed.” Dias helped Colel up and they all ran towards the nearest building.There were no doors and the windows were empty frames. It was a single story building, so they didn’t have to worry about anyone coming down from upstairs, but they were still vulnerable.“So much for splitting up to find whatever it is we need to find. We have no idea where these bandits are or how many of them there are. They obviously aren’t open to negotiations. Loke, you don’t have any idea what we’re looking for?” Even inside the building Magnar thought it was entirely too bright and hot. He vowed never to complain about a heat wave during summer in Caax again.“I don’t know, I just know that Oskuab should be here somewhere. Information on the spirits is limited, at best. Most of what I know comes from stories, not so much documentation. We called out to Lusaa in Nono, but like with Trir, I think we’re going to have to find Oskuab.”Dias was healing Votan’s arm, but still thought splitting up would be manageable. “We should still divide, but we need to be smart about it. There are eight of us and while we could pair off to look faster, two groups of four would be best.”“Then in terms of necessities and to balance abilities, I will go with Loke and Magnar. Dias, if you could join us. Colel, Balan, Votan, and Blu, you will balance each other nicely as well.” Cam duty was to the twins but in this instance they were more capable of evading attacks than she was. Her armor and weapons stood out and made her an easy target.Loke thought about dividing the group in a similar way, but she didn’t consider anyone’s battle skills, only their level of necessity when it came down to what to do when Oskuab was found. She had no complaints and agreed with Cam’s tactics.“Blu, I trust you to be able to handle emergency aid.” Dias handed Blu his medical kit.Blu took it with a nod, but was nervous about the potential of needing to use it.“Our group will take the north half of town, the other group the south half. Meet back here in an hour, regardless of what you find, or don’t find. Be careful and may the gods protect you.” Cam was used to giving pep talks to her fellow soldiers and headed out the doorway first. She was being extra attentive to the second story windows and roofs, since that’s where it seemed the knife that hit Votan came from.The second group followed Cam’s group, but they had even less of an idea what to look for. The twins hadn’t confessed to being Biyeho, Votan wasn’t sure what to believe, but liked the ceremonies and rituals he saw. Blu only really knew what Loke and Dias had taught him. The only clue about something being out of place wasn’t actually much to go on.Neither group was having much luck finding anything unusual that stood out, but the bandits were out in full force. Cam was doing well to deflect them in her group while Dias was able to hit some bandits with a scalpel or two. Votan was quick to spot the attacks with Balan and Blu backing him up on the attack. Both groups weren’t finding anything of note and were having an increasing difficulty handling the bandits, as they kept themselves mostly unseen. As each group reached the center of town on the opposite side, they made the same observation and headed for the central lake area. It was fairly open and they weren’t being attacked at all, but it was most certainly unusual for this town and they seemed to happen upon it at the same time.“I would hazard to say this is something a bit unusual.” Dias looked at the darkness that seemed to fill the lake and straight up into the sky.“The cut off here is as abrupt as it is for the entire town. This is a good of a place as any for Oskuab to be.” Loke went to put her hand in the water and pulled her hand back quickly, realizing that this was probably the type of darkness people encountered in the temple at Nono – the darkness that drove people mad. “There is definitely something here.”“It’s just dark, right?” Balan tried to do the same as Loke and pulled his hand back just as fast. “Ok, not just dark. Did it just zap you?”“It was more like the feeling that my fingers were going to degenerate.” Loke looked at her hand and noticed the tips of her nails were shorter than before.“So now what? If it’s blocked off, how do we free darkness?” Magnar tossed a rock into the darkness and watched it vanish.“Let me think for a bit.” Loke sat on the ground near the edge of the light and looked into the darkness. She thought about the story of light and darkness. Oskuab had taken control of Lusaa’s core, which was freed by Dias in Nono, but Lusaa was still able to hold Oskuab to one location despite their capture. Now that Lusaa was free, Oskuab was now being isolated and imprisoned. To restore the proper balance, Oskuab needed to be released. Dias has some usage of Lusaa’s powers of light, but the amount of power to release a seal of this nature would be beyond anything he could do. There didn’t seem to be any sort of official placement for an offering worthy of a spirit, but Loke knew that Cam would need to be the key to unlocking everything.After Loke had her talk with Cam about her affinity to darkness in Zipan, Cam had been wondering why it was so important and she realized that she would be the one that would have to take a chance. “Loke, what’s the symbol for darkness?”Loke was caught off guard but walked over to Cam and started to draw it in the sand. “It’s not too different from light, but it looks mostly like this.”“Could you draw that on my hand?”“I suppose I could.” Loke pulled out some ink and drew the symbol on Cam’s palm. “Is this alright?” She didn’t understand what Cam wanted to do with it on her hand.“Perfect.” Cam pushed her hand into the darkness and watched her fingers on the other side of the invisible barrier.The rest of the group was stunned to see Cam even try to enter the darkness and were even more surprised to see her succeed.“I’ll see if I can’t figure something out in here. If something bad happens to me, take care of the twins in my stead.” Cam started to walk into the lake and while they could see her briefly, she quickly disappeared into the darkness.Colel screamed after Cam, but Balan held her back from the void. “Colel, you can’t follow her. Just wait and see what happens. It’s Cam, she’ll be fine.”Colel turned and slapped Balan. “You have some nerve after that tower in Zipan.” She wasn’t able to keep herself from crying and started to run away from the group.Not wanting anyone to be left on their own with bandits hidden about, Magnar was the first to give chase. “I’ll bring her back. Everyone stay here.”Magnar found her hiding behind a rock on the other side of the lake. “It’s ok to be upset. No one expected her to do that, but I’m sure she’ll figure out how to come back. She’s got a quick wit and is pretty strong.”“But what if she doesn’t?” Colel didn’t bother to look at Magnar and kept her head down on her arms that hugged her knees.“Then we’ll save all of our tears for then.” Magnar hadn’t noticed them before, but a few marks on the bottom of Colel’s leg caught his attention. “Before we head back, can I ask you something? It might sound really farfetched and strange.”Colel wiped her eyes and looked at him curiously. “What is it?” She wasn’t used to Magnar prying into everyone’s personal life.“Well, I noticed the marks on your leg.” Magnar paused, feeling awkward. “This might sound like a stupid and unexpected question, but Colel, are you a goddess?”Colel was bad at hiding information when being confronted with her lies and she often became exceptionally defensive. “What if I was? Wouldn’t that be weird?”Magnar shook his head. He expected an outright denial but it looked like she was trying to not answer him. “No, not at all. It would be a relief to me, honestly.”“How would that be a relief? And how did you even make that accusation from looking at my leg?” Colel snapped.“I’ve heard from someone credible that those that are marked by a god to be their vessel have marks that aren’t too noticeable at first, but as their souls mix, it gets a lot more obvious. Those are fairly noticeable, so I thought it might be related to that.” Magnar was starting to have regrets about talking to Colel. He realized how ridiculous it must sound to her.“Is Loke your credible source?” Colel was still standoffish, but she still hadn’t denied anything.“Actually, no. It was Trir - spirit of the earth - as he merged my soul with that of the god of agriculture.”“You… you’re being terribly honest with me. Why?” Colel started to relax but was still hesitating to commit to any revelation.Magnar sat beside Colel behind the rock and leaned his head against it. “Because I don’t know what to expect. Loke doesn’t have any idea what it’s like to become a god. It’s apparently not something that happens right away, but I don’t know what I’m going to feel in the process. I don’t know what happens during the transition or if I will even know when it’s complete.”Colel understood Magnar’s burden and what he would need to endure. Reaching down, she placed her hand over the five star-shaped marks just above her left ankle. “So, say I was a goddess. You’d want me to tell you what kind of changes you’ll go through?”“Sums it up.”“Nothing too obvious at first. I don’t know what it will be like for you, since it’s different for everyone. For me, it was a few weeks. As my soul blended with the god’s, I had to struggle to keep myself and not be consumed by it. You seem like you could handle that. But when the voices come, you’ll have to learn to ignore them or you’ll go mad.” Colel hoped she wasn’t making a grave mistake telling him a major secret.Magnar was relieved that he didn’t completely embarrass himself and was thankful for Colel sharing her experience, even if it was a generalization. “Voices?”“The prayers of those sending you offerings. Do you know how many people constantly pray for the god of money to bless them with great fortunes? It’s so noisy!”Magnar laughed. He rarely heard Colel sound like a frustrated teenager. “You’re the goddess of money? That makes so much sense.”Colel stood sharply and frowned. “Just don’t tell anyone else. I’ve seen Loke tailing you around, you must have told her and now she’s super interested, isn’t she?”Magnar sighed heavily. “Yeah, I feel like it was a mistake, but at the same time, I feel like if anyone should know, it should be her.”“What she helped you earn is worth more than any amount of gold, despite the downsides.” Colel held out her hand to help Magnar up.“I’ll have to take your word for it. Let’s head back and wait for Cam. I’m sure they’re worried about you too.”Magnar and Colel returned to find Loke kneeling next to the line, reading a passage from her book aloud and Dias next to her echoing her when she gestured for him to do so.“Blu, what are they doing?” Magnar didn’t expect them to stay idle, but he wasn’t sure this was what he would find. Although, knowing Loke, he wasn’t entirely surprised.“Ah! Magnar! Colel too! You came back! When you ran after Colel, she got really frantic and started looking for something to try and do. She said it was a stretch, but if she could have Dias help try and suppress the power of light, then maybe it would be easier for Cam to come back to us. I don’t really understand any of it, but I hope it works.” Blu had been pacing behind Loke and Dias, trying to make sure no one attacked them.“Yeah, I hope so too. What’s with those two?” Magnar pointed at Votan and Balan. They were a short distance away and their stance gave him the impression that were about to square off into an actual fist fight.“I don’t really know Votan said about Colel, but apparently Balan didn’t it and started after him. I tried to get them to stop, but I just got pushed out of the way.”“Those idiots…” Colel muttered under her breath before storming over to the fight. She stood between both of them and gave them a robust piece of her mind. No one could hear her words but the tone was likely heard through the entire town.“Great, I’m glad everything here is under control.” Magnar said sarcastically as he sat in the sand. He was worried that the entire group was going to collapse upon itself and after this event was over, that they should strongly consider everyone’s role if they all plan on sticking together.In the darkness, Cam wandered down what felt like a hallway for a while. There were several doors to each side, but none of them seemed to be unlocked. Eventually, she reached the end of the hall with a door that was already opened, as if it was inviting her to enter.Inside, she found elaborate furniture that looked like it belonged in a palace. It looked new yet it also looked old and dusty. Cam somehow was able to see the details in the wood edging of a chaise even though the room was dark as if the curtains were drawn at the height of midnight on a new moon. She was captivated by the room but jumped slightly when she heard a woman’s voice speak to her.“Please, Camella, sit. Do not be afraid.”“Where is this place? Who are you?” She hesitantly sat on the edge of the chaise, placing her large sword beside it. The woman seated opposite her didn’t seem to have much of a distinct form, but Cam sensed she was beautiful and elegant. She noticed a thin chain sparkled along the floor and around what should have been the woman’s foot.“This has been my home for quite some time since I’ve been at the mercy of Lusaa. I am Oskuab, spirit of shadow, commonly referred to the spirit of darkness. I understand you are traveling with those that have released Lusaa from his entrapment.” Oskuab’s voice was calm with a velvety softness.“Yes, that is true. But we’re trying to free you as well, to restore the balance.” Cam was surprised at how Oskuab could be so calm. “What I never understood was if you trapped Lusaa, how was Lusaa able to trap you?”Oskuab gave the impression that she was smiling. “It was just that - a trap. I never believed his promises to help bring me to his level of worship, so I worked to bring him down to mine instead. It seemed to have backfired on both of us. With Lusaa now free from his bounds, I suspect he will crush me in retaliation.”“I don’t think that would happen. You both need each other. Without light, there are no shadows, right? But if there is no darkness, then what is light?”The shape of Osukab leaned forward. “You have the power of war, yet you are suggesting a compromise?”“The power of the god of war has given me the insight of when to initiate, when to resist, and when to compromise. That has given me good fortune on the battlefield. But I’m not a goddess, so I have no incentives to instigate a war.”“Thus, you want me to form a compromise with Lusaa.”“Indeed.” Cam acknowledged.“And should I refuse any compromise and send you to the bottom of this lake?”“So shall be your choice. But without you, Lusaa will continue to flourish until he destroys you and ultimately himself. Also, how long as it been since someone has come by to keep you company.”Oskuab leaned back on the opulent sofa. “You offer a convincing argument. I’d be inclined to listen to your compromise but I am unable to leave this prison unless someone unlocks that door. And that can only be done by Lusaa’s power.” She pointed to a door at the top of a spiral staircase.Cam thought in silence for a few moments. She needed to contact Dias but she didn’t know what he could do. While she was debating her options, the chain that ran along the floor grew blindingly bright and shattered, leaving small bits of light to glitter throughout the room. Freed from her chains, Oskuab ran to the stairs and to the door at the top. Her calm composure was gone and she was frantic to escape. Despite pounding and pulling at the door, it remained closed and locked.Cam picked up her sword and walked up the stairs to beside Oskuab at the doorway. “Maybe instead of having it unlocked, let’s just break it down.” Cam held a firm grasp on her broad sword as she swung downward to slash the door.As the door split into two pieces and dropped from the frame, a bright light flooded the room, bleaching everything inside of it. Oskuab shape changed as she wrapped herself around Cam, forming a dark sphere that floated upward.“Cam, I’ll bring you to the surface of the lake. To whoever freed me of my shackles, please thank them, but to you, that had the strength to visit a lonely spirit and release her from her prison, I will entrust you with unlimited usage of my powers.”Cam wasn’t able to reply before she felt herself break through the surface of the lake and start coughing and gasping for air while she treaded water. The darkness that covered the lake was gone, and only the setting sun over the horizon remained in the sky.Magnar and Dias rushed into the lake to pull Cam out and carried her to a nearby house. Luckily any bandits that might have been inside had vacated the building. It took both twins to drag her large sword along behind them. Once they were inside the building, Votan took a look through the upstairs to make sure they didn’t have unwelcome company and to ensure their safety. Dias didn’t see any obvious injuries, and her breathing was steady. It would be mostly a matter of time for her to wake up on her own.Votan, Balan, and Dias took turns keeping guard in pairs throughout the night. There were a few bandits that made an attempt to enter the building, but they were quickly quelled with an arrow, scalpel, or a knife. It was enough to keep them at bay until morning.Cam woke up early to the sound of Loke explaining the early Biyeho ceremonies to Blu and found she wasn’t familiar with the topic either. She wasn’t sure if it was dusk or dawn outside, but knowing that it wasn’t a constant midday sun, she smiled in relief and sat up to look outside.“Cam, you’re awake!” Blu’s expression was bright briefly, but stumbled backwards when he saw Cam’s eyes.“Is something wrong?” Cam looked around to see if there was something amiss.“Cam, I don’t know what happened on your end yesterday, but your eye is completely black.” Loke figured Cam should be made aware of it before the others woke up.“The other too?” Cam lifted her eye patch.Loke and Blu nodded.Cam frowned a little but quickly smiled again. “Ah, well, so be it. I don’t think it’s affecting my vision any, so no big deal, right?”“Maybe it’ll be like Dias when he used to glow and it’ll go away,” suggested Blu.Loke brought her hand to her chin in thought. “You might be right, Blu. He did glow for a while after the ceremony in Nono. I miss that a little, actually. He made a good reading light late at night.”Cam wasn’t bothered by how her eyes looked, but felt bad for Dias being used a light source for reading. “Well, if it stays or goes, it isn’t that terrible. But now that this is settled, did you really want to head to Tohil? The twins won’t like that at all.”Loke gave a subtle nod. “I do. There are a few things I wanted to find in Tohil. There should be an ancient platform somewhere and if possible, I would like to try and speak with the royal family.”“How do you plan on getting into the palace? Although, I would strongly recommend against it.” Cam knew Loke wouldn’t listen, but she needed to make her disapproval known.Loke smiled a smile that Blu thought was more suspicious than genuine. “I have some documents from the queen that name me as a special envoy from Holom. It should be enough to get me through the door.” At least, she would after she writes them.“Isn’t he queen in Holom pretty elusive?” Cam was surprised that Loke would have contacts at that level and not have used them to her advantage.“Some say she’s fairly reclusive. But it wasn’t an easy document to acquire. I made sure to prepare for many potential situations that I may encounter and would need documents for. She was kind enough to prepare them for me before I left Holom.” In other words, she picked up enough parchment and wax to write and seal them as the situation dictated.
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As expected, Loke's declaration to go to Tohil sparked an argument between her and the twins. The group had returned to the port after Cam felt well enough to travel and were at an impasse.“Absolutely not. There’s nothing in Tohil worth wasting your time.” Colel was cross. She stood across from Loke, who was sitting at a small table in the inn.Loke disagreed. “If we don’t go to Tohil, I won’t be able to have a full grasp of the situation. You don’t have to come. You can stay here in Wiil or head up to Holom. If I could just meet with the royal family, I could –“Loke was cut off by Magnar before she could say something she couldn’t take back. “Loke come with me.” He led her to another room.Cam pulled Colel and Balan aside. “We came along voluntarily. I understand we all have our reasons for coming, but whether or not you like it, Loke is going to Tohil. It’s important for her. She isn’t asking the two of you to go home.”“I won’t go home.” Colel stated with Balan nodding in agreement."I don't think I've ever seen you this angry about anything. I thought you two generally got along. What’s wrong?" Magnar held Loke’s shoulders to keep her focused."She's being ridiculous. I've put off going to Tohil for far too long and it's like I told her, if she doesn't want to go with us, she can stay here. They were traveling fine as a trio before." Loke crossed her arms and looked away.Magnar sighed. "You realize that was what got her the most upset, don't you?" "What?" Loke had no idea what he was talking about."It sounded like you didn't want them to come along. That they would be better off staying here."Loke felt a little of her rage subside. "That isn’t it at all. I would love them to come along, but I can't force them to go. Whatever reasons they have to avoid Tohil aren't all that important to this overwhelming situation.""You have no idea, do you?" Magnar smirked."No idea about what?" Loke looked at him, puzzled."How idiotic all of you royal people are.""What's that supposed to mean?" Loke had no idea what he was getting at, other than calling her an idiot, but she was one person, not a collective."Loke, you're brilliant when it comes to some topics, but otherwise completely oblivious. The twins are the prince and princess of Tohil." Magnar had noticed Dias trying to learn similar things about the twins the way he used to try and get information about Loke. Knowing their situation and now armed with the knowledge about Colel, it was somewhat easy to piece together.Loke took a minute to let it sink in before she let out a confused shout that Magnar threw a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. Once her voice stopped, he removed his hand."They've been dropping hints about it any time Tohil came up. It makes sense with what you know about that family."Loke still struggled to believe what he told her. "Are you completely certain? Couldn’t it just be a coincidence?""Not completely, but it just makes sense. Did you think you were the only royal person running around Itzam?"Loke didn't have anything left to argue with and flopped down onto his bed. She was already starting to calm down, but wasn't going to relent on her goals. "I still need to go to Tohil, though, regardless of them coming along or not.""Yeah, I know that. But you need to be mindful of what you say in the heat of an argument. You can get all of us killed." If they had been in any other country, Magnar expected hey would have been arrested by now.Loke sat up and stared at the floor. "Sorry. But I also think Tohil is where we might learn something about Rehu.""What's Rehu?""Spirit of lightning. From what I've heard of the lush forests and crystal clear rivers and waterfalls, I think it has the potential to be where the landscape is most inspiring.""So, a spirit for Blu, then?" Magnar confirmed.“Yes,” Loke confirmed. "I think he's capable and deserving. He supports all of us and never asks for anything in return, not even recognition.”Magnar agreed that Blu was a quiet, but important part of the group."But what about the royal family?""Of course I still fully intend to meet with them." Loke clutched her pendant under her dress."What if you'll need to expose that?""Expose what?" Dias came in the room with Blu. "We tried to knock, but I suppose you didn't hear it.""Nothing. Nothing is getting exposed, no one is getting killed, and I'm going to Tohil once we find a boat that will take me there." Loke stormed out and Blu ran to chase her in case she left the inn.Dias watched Loke leave with Blu behind her and gave his report while still staring at the empty door frame. "We were coming to tell you that Cam convinced the twins to agree to return to Tohil, but weren’t going to go anywhere near the capital."Magnar was exhausted from everyone arguing all morning. "Thanks Dias.""She's changed a lot, don't you think?" Dias wondered aloud."More than you'd believe.""More? How was she when you first met her?" Dias wondered how much more Magnar knew, though he also noticed Magnar was different in many ways from the time they first met.Magnar sat on a chair and sighed. "Nah, mostly how you met her, but at the time she was dealing with a lot more grief. She’s changed the most after Kabra. I still feel like something happened in there that either she isn't telling us, or she doesn't know herself.""She's going to be a goddess, isn't she?" Dias sat across from Magnar, curious to see if Magnar would actually divulge information."I think she probably is one already.” Magnar said with a shrug. “But, if she is, she really doesn't know. She's said it herself once – it’s assumed that not all gods that walk among us realize that they're gods. But that doesn't even matter. I'm worried about her drawing attention to herself. She's not usually confrontational or this loud outside of our own petty disagreements. Lately, she’s being careless."Dias was surprised Magnar actually disclosed any information and it was something surprisingly important. "I have noticed she’s given less caution to her surroundings. If her argument with Colel this morning was somewhere else, we could easily be arrested or worse.”There was a light tap on the doorframe and Colel stuck her head in. "Isn't Loke here?""No, she went running out a bit ago. Blu went to make sure she didn't get into something bad. What's wrong?" Magnar knew he probably should have chased her, but she probably didn't feel like talking to him anymore either.“Oh,” Colel frowned. "I wanted to apologize for being so difficult earlier, but more importantly, I heard that Betti is on the island looking for her."Time seemed to stand still and Magnar scrambled to run out the door to the room and down the stairs and into the tiny village. He knew Blu was with Loke and they shouldn't be difficult to find, but that also meant Betti wouldn't have a hard time of it either.Balan had been with Colel and after Magnar ran out with Dias behind him. Balan grabbed Magnar’s scythe and quickly ran after the two men to catch up. “Colel, stay with Cam. We might need to leave sooner than later.”The three that ran out of the inn found Loke sitting on a pier with Blu tossing small stones into the water."What's the urgency? Did something happen?" Loke was completely calm and it seemed like she had forgotten the past half hour existed. Blu looked just as confused by everyone rushing towards them ready for battle."Betti is on the island. And Colel wanted to apologize." Magnar summarized for her."Tell me that second part first! But if Betti's there now, how are we supposed to avoid him? The trip to the northern port is entirely too far for us to reach without him catching us." Loke was tired of running from Betti."I think we can deceive him. I have an idea." Blu was already standing.Magnar wasn’t convinced he could be deceived again. "We tried that once. It's how Votan ended up tagging along."Blu knew what Magnar said was true, but he had a different idea. "We have a little more time now, right? We can disguise ourselves in a much more elaborate way and if we time a boat right, we can be heading there as he heads here.""But the boat will only take two of us at a time. We can't do four trips in the time he'll take to get here." Dias was trying to calculate the timing that they would need to prepare as well as taking the boat across to the island."We just need Loke and Magnar to go across while he comes this way. We can delay him over here, I'm sure, so even if he suspects that they’re the ones crossing, it'll take him that much longer for him to get there." Blu was getting a bit frustrated. His plan was rough, but he knew it could work.Magnar didn’t hate the idea, but it had too many variables and put too many of them at risk. "If Loke and I go over there, and he somehow he doesn't kill this entire village before heading back, we still will be trapped on that island.""We have to go back to the inn anyway, let's start with that." Loke saw Blu getting frustrated, but she had an idea of what he was trying to do. As a group, they could probably think of a way to incorporate it into their strategy.Back at the inn, Cam, Votan, and Colel were already packing their supplies and trying to think of a way to avoid Betti and escape. Cam had an idea similar to Blu's, but Colel’s suggestion made it more likely to work.Colel used a few trinkets on the table to signify Betti and the other boat carrying two of the party members. "If we look like regular villagers bringing provisions to the island, we can probably fool him at a distance, but instead of sending Loke and Magnar first, I think we should send Balan with Cam."Balan pointed to himself. "Why me? I could understand Cam, but me?"Colel nodded. "Cam's new darkness power, she can briefly surround someone with darkness to blind them, a bit like Dias can, I suppose you could say. In that time, if you shoot an arrow at the boat, couldn't you cause it to sink?"Dias took his glasses off to clean them before putting them back on. "That's not a bad idea. But would an arrow be enough to cause the boat to flood?""Oh! I get what Colel means! If I use a water arrow, the pressure could split the wood, as long as I hit it on a seam.” Colel gave Balan a satisfied jab to the shoulder to let him know he knew what she wanted from him. "I'll shoot the best arrow I can fire!"Excited to be sent on an important task, Balan rushed through the door with Cam chasing after him.Magnar was starting to wonder if this desert heat was making everyone weird and act out of sorts. But if they could pull off Colel's plan, it would keep a lot of people from getting hurt. "We need a plan B in case that doesn't work out. Once Cam and Balan reach the island, they can work on getting us to Tohil, but the rest of us should have an idea of what to do in case Betti doesn't go down with the boat."Loke stared at the trinkets on the table. She liked Colel’s plan, but agreed with Magnar that they would need to prepare for the worst. "I would like to evacuate the villagers in case, but there isn't anywhere for them to go."Magnar felt relieved that Loke was back to thinking of others, but now was when he needed her to feel selfish. "We can encourage them to hide, but we still need to be able to bide time and get the rest of us across the water. Anyone got a good idea for that?"Loke's eyes opened wide as an idea hit her out of nowhere. "Magnar, how much have you gotten used to your earth power?""I haven't done a lot of anything with it. What are you thinking?" Magnar worried about what she was planning. Whenever Loke got excited it tended to cause grief for someone else."Couldn't you just make a tunnel under the water to get us there? We could easily avoid Betti and get to the other side." Loke was nearly bouncing with anticipation of seeing Magnar use his powers."Maybe. Except I'm pretty sure I might die." Magnar remembered how exhausted Dias was after his first big usage of light in Kabra, there was no way he had the stamina to make a tunnel that long under the water. Even a land bridge might be too much for him to be able to handle.Dias was surprised at Loke's idea, and thought it would have been an incredible feat. But Dias was well aware of how difficult using that much energy would be. "Even if you couldn't do the entire distance to the island, could you could get us underground enough for him to leave? It could potentially keep the villagers safe as well."Magnar shrugged. "I guess I could do at least that. Is that our plan B then, if Votan and Cam don't sink Betti?""I think it's a good idea." Votan had been sitting off to the side watching everyone argue all morning. "It keeps everyone safe. And if it came down to it, I would put my life on the line to protect Colel.""No one asked you to do that." Colel walked over to the window to see her brother and Cam boarding a boat.Loke came over to the window beside Colel and sat a small piece of fruit on the windowsill and offered it to the god of protection for Balan and Cam's success, as well as their own. Without thinking, Colel had joined in the offering. Colel was well aware that everyone already figured out that they were actually Biyeho and stopped trying to hide it. Although it wasn't a long offering, by the end of Loke's prayer everyone in the room had placed something on the windowsill.Balan and Cam were taking the trip slowly, looking in the distance for Betti to appear on the water. If they encountered Betti, they wanted to be sure it was far enough away from land to make sure he couldn’t easily swim to the island or the village on the mainland. On the island, Betti commandeered a boat for himself and started towards the village. He was rowing at a great speed and Balan spotted him as they were shy of the halfway point. It was far enough away from land for an encounter so Cam waited for him to come close enough. Betti recognized Cam and Balan as companions to his bounty. While he was demanding his prey be turned over for mutilation, Cam asked the boatman to close his eyes brought darkness down over the two boats. She could see Betti struggle to see anything around him and found that she was successful in blinding her target. However, it also managed to blind Balan in the process."Cam, I can't see." Balan had an arrow drawn but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see Betti or the boat.Cam remained calm on the surface, but inside she was furious at herself for not being able to pinpoint the darkness to only Betti. "Do you want me to guide your arrow?""No, I think I can hear it." Balan closed his eyes and focused on the sound of water splashing the boats. He could hear it easily on their boat, but the splashing on the other boat was frantic and he could tell that Betti was actively fighting the air around him. Balan took aim and fired an arrow with a request for aid from the water spirit.Cam watched the arrow pierce the side of the boat and lodge itself easily between boards, forcing them apart. Although it did seem to have water flowing into it from the small space Balan created, Betti was thrashing around so much that she couldn't tell if the boat was filling with water from Balan’s arrow or just the movement of the boat in the water.When Balan’s vision began to return, Betti was also able to see once again. It was too late for Betti as he had already dug his own watery grave. Even as he realized he could see, the boat had taken in too much water and had begun to submerge. Furious, Betti’s movements overturned the boat and the wake created from Betti falling overboard caused it to drift from where Betti went under the water.Waiting for the boat to return made the time pass even slower. Loke paced while Dias, Colel, and Blu warned the villagers about Betti and to stay inside if he made it to shore. Votan sat on the roof of a building and had a better view of the action. He was able to see a dark bubble where the boats had been but eventually it faded and only one boat remained. Since it continued away from the mainland, Votan expected that Cam and Balan were successful.Magnar hadn’t much of an opportunity to test the powers he received from Trir. Since he was being asked to create at least a bunker, he managed a small pit, but nothing big enough for the entire village. A bridge or tunnel was definitely out of the question. He’d have to work harder to understand his capabilities if they survived this. He also wondered what he’d be able to do as a god since right now he felt entirely useless.When the boatman returned with good news about Betti disappearing under the water, Loke and Magnar were the next two to go across. They crossed without incident, but both felt like there wasn't wrong in the water. Hopefully they were both feeling too tired and stressed to relax. They found Balan and Cam near the ships, looking for passage to Tohil and now could cover more ground.The third boat to cross with Dias and Votan didn't have the same fortune of Loke and Magnar. Betti burst through the water, grabbing the side of their boat. The boatman was skilled managed to shift his weight on it from tipping. Betti intended to either take it down with him or claim it for himself. Dias didn't hesitate to blind him at point blank range with a bright flash of light, causing him to let go and fall back into the water. Votan had shoved a knife into Betti's hand as an extra measure to draw any blood thirsty fish his way.Blu and Colel got the message from the boatman that Betti tried to attack them and he was hesitant to take them across the water. The man wanted to get everyone reunited, but he didn't want to risk another trip with that crazed person in the water, especially as the sun was starting to set and most of the trip would be in the dark. Through pleading and negotiations, Colel and Blu convinced him to let them take the boat themselves and promised to find someone to have the boat returned in the morning.One boat was lost already today and he didn't want to lose the only other boat the village had to reach the island. Eventually after some negotiation and bribery from Colel, he relented and allowed them to take the boat themselves. Neither knew how to properly control the boat, but Blu managed to understand the mechanics quickly. It took them longer to reach the island than if the boatman had ferried them, but they were able to reach the island without any interference from Betti. Before finding the rest of their group, they saw the other boatman worried about the boat that had been lost and explained the situation. He seemed dejected, but relieved that Colel and Blu were able to bring this one in safely. Tasks completed, the group reunited and boarded a ship that Cam had arranged to take them to Tohil.
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Tohil was full of lush rainforests and while not as hot as Wiil, it was extremely humid. Travel from the western port was slow, but steady along the main road. Balan and Colel rarely left the vicinity of the capital, so this area was just as unfamiliar to them as it was to everyone else. A few days walk away from the capital, the twins refused to continue forward. They knew the area and were certain that at the next village, people would know them and they weren’t willing to take the risk. “We could split up,” Cam suggested to Loke as she was trying to figure out what to do first. “If you wanted to head to the capital, I can take the twins away from here and look for your platform.”Loke wanted to protest, but Cam’s idea was sound. She worried that they were already taking too long and so many more people would die while she wandered about Itzam. “As much as I would prefer to stick together, I have to agree that might be the better method.”“I’ll go with Cam, too.” Blu interrupted. “If we find the temple, there might be a mural. I seem to be good at understanding them, so I’ll go in case we find one.” At first, Loke was stunned that Blu would choose to go with the search party, but eventually she agreed that he would be the best one to send in her place. “Alright, then it’s decided. Magnar, Dias, Votan, and I will head to the capital while the rest search for the platform or temple. I’ll translate all I have about it before morning.”The trip into the city would have been quiet if Votan wasn’t complaining about being apart from Colel. Loke’s thoughts were anywhere but in the present. She not only worried about the half of the group that headed south to avoid the city, but her main worries were how she was going to gain access to the royal family without exposing her secret to Votan and Dias. She doubted she could present herself as a messenger and be seen easily.Magnar had a good idea at what was distracting Loke but with Votan’s complaints being the only source of entertainment, Magnar was wondering if he’d be able to reach the city without asking Dias to remove Votan’s vocal chords. Dias, for his part, noticed that even though Blu was generally reserved, he somehow made traveling a lot more bearable. He missed his random questions, whether Blu was asking him about medicine or Loke about the religion. It filled the silence in a much more comforting way than Votan’s complaints.Tohil city was visible from quite a distance away and its grand nature was something they hadn’t seen in any other country so far. When they arrived, they marveled at the grand size of the city and the city center itself. There was no question this was a prosperous city and Loke understood a little of why the royal family may have converted to protect it. Finding a place to stay that was within Colel’s budget was their next challenge. Loke insisted Votan join them instead of going on the search team because he was the most aware in a city setting. He was able to steer them away from the seedier areas and the group was able to find an inn that they would be safe in for the night without having to face Colel’s wrath. However, even though the inn was simple, it was the most upscale and most expensive place they had stayed in, and Loke was fairly certain this was half of their previous inn costs combined into one night. Wanting to impress Colel by not spending all of their budgeted money, Votan offered to earn a few extra taak for their room and board. In order to keep Votan honest, Dias joined him.Alone in the room, Magnar tapped on the partition the staff had put between Loke’s bed and the rest of the room since they couldn’t afford more than the one room. She remembered the previous suggestion about optics and insisted on the partition to ensure privacy, although she didn’t care about the arrangement at all.Loke glanced up from the notes she was writing when she heard the tap on the wood frame. “Is something wrong?”Magnar shook his head. “No. I was just curious as to what your big plan was now that you’re here. Are you just going to walk up to the palace and declare entry?”Putting her pen down, Loke looked at the notes and closed her book. “It seems like the only way. They’re not expecting us in any way so I doubt they would simply open the gates for me in advance.”“Even if you demand entry, I don’t think they’ll be too welcoming to you for that.”Loke walked over to the window and looked out into the city. Their room was several stories higher than any other building they had been in. Even the watchtower in Zipan wasn’t this high. From the window, it was easy to see most of the streets below and across the plaza, she could see the gateway to the palace.Loke sighed, a feeling of despair settling in. “I don’t have any other ideas. Do you have any suggestions? Even a bad idea is better than none.”Magnar ignored her barb. “Not really, but maybe if you gave them the envoy letter today, maybe they can schedule you for tomorrow. At least give them notice you’re here.”“I thought about that and even wrote the letter the other day. But if they still refuse after that, my only other option is to declare myself and I would rather not reveal that to Dias and Votan. I still regret telling you.”“It’s too late for that, but how about you worry about it when that time comes. It looks like the way up there is pretty easy from here. It’s still early, we can take it now. I’ll walk you there.”“Of course you will. I’m not allowed anywhere alone.” Loke knew that no one ever went anywhere alone, but it always seemed emphasized that she needed an escort. She knew she needed one but the constant reminders wearing her down.“You pay me to do that.” Magnar reminded her.“I know that. And everyone else always has someone with them too, but to be able to simply buy fruit or walk through the market without worrying that someone is going to tell me not to buy that or come and attack me or whatever it is, I’m growing tired of it.”“Then we should wrap things up here and keep going. The sooner we solve the problems, the sooner you can relax.” Magnar was trying to be supportive, but he suspected there was still a long road ahead.Loke sighed and leaned on the window frame. “It isn’t just this journey, but when all is said and done and I return to Holom, I won’t be able to carry on as normal either.”Magnar understood where she was coming from. He’d be lying if he didn’t want to just sit on his porch and watch the breeze blow through the wheat, but he had that to look forward to later. Loke would go back to Holom and likely have guards with her constantly that pure anonymity would be impossible. He wanted to try and comfort her, but just trying to sympathize was enough for now. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find some time to yourself. For now, let’s just try and do things here quickly so we can meet up with the others.”Loke knew he was right to keep moving. “Alright, we’ll see if we can get an appointment for tomorrow.” Reluctantly, she grabbed the letter she had written and let Magnar lead her to the palace.The streets were far simpler than Magnar expected. He could easily map out this city, as all the streets seemed to form a grid. The palace was as it looked like from the room and a straight path up the road through the plaza. The guards at the gate were a lot more receptive than either of them expected, but the high level of caution wasn’t a surprise. They waited silently at the gate while the letter was taken into the palace for review. Loke spent a lot of the time reviewing different scenarios in her mind about how awful all of this could end up but Magnar was struggling to keep his wits about him. He was suddenly feeling tired and dizzy, but he didn’t want her to worry or anyone that might be following them to take advantage of it. He just hoped it was some travel fatigue from the humidity and would pass quickly. As he felt like he was going to pass out, the guard returned and had them escorted into the palace.“If you could both just wait here, his majesty will call for you shortly.” The guard left them in a sitting room near the entrance.Loke thanked them and turned to Magnar to say how she was relieved they were seen so quickly, but now that he was seated, he had lost his fight and passed out. She shook him and when he didn’t react, she noticed he was running a fever. Alone in a sitting room and she surprised that they weren’t even being watched, but was helpless to do anything for him herself. The best she could do was put a wet handkerchief on his head and hoped to get him back to Dias.“I have come to escort you to the king, if…” The guard noticed her putting the cloth on his forehead as he came back in. “Is everything alright, miss?”“I’m afraid it seems he’s come down with a fever. I didn’t even notice he wasn’t feeling well earlier. I don’t wish to inconvenience the king any more than I already have, but…”“We’ll take him to the infirmary at once, but we shouldn’t keep the king waiting.” The guard held out a hand to escort Loke.Loke nodded. She was hesitant to leave him in their hands and after all of her complaining about not being able to do anything alone, she was starting to think that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.The king was in a meeting room with the queen awaiting the visitors from a faraway country. They had been reluctant to see anyone, but they had their own questions about Holom and their purpose for sending an envoy the great distance to Tohil.“Oh, weren’t there two of you?” The queen approached Loke as the guard bowed and left the room.Loke bowed to the queen as she approached. “I’m afraid my companion isn’t feeling well. The guards were taking him to the infirmary.”“I’m sorry to hear that.”“Please do not worry yourself over it, your majesty. And please forgive my terrible manners for I have not introduced myself.” Loke bowed again. Her worries were now compounded with Magnar being ill that she was forgetting proper court protocol and was chiding herself.“You needn’t worry about such things, we’re quite aware of who you are already. High Priestess Loke, am I correct?” The king smiled and gestured for her to sit at the table.“Loke is fine, your majesty. But, if I may, how have you already come to know my name?” She waited for the queen to sit before she sat herself.“I suppose it isn’t much of a secret. You’ve already met our brazen children. The one that feels guilt had already written us to let them know they joined with you and your friends. They’re learning quite a lot about the world. I’m quite proud of them.” The queen’s words and expression didn’t match. She said she was proud, but her face looked disappointed.“Ladies, may we proceed with more important topics?” The king cut off the queen and tried to move things along.“If one of your children have already informed you about us,” Loke assumed it was Colel, “then this should be easier. Aside from my own task of evaluating the state of the Biyeho in Itzam, I’ve also been tasked by the queen to use my observations to offer suggestions for ways that everyone to live harmoniously. I understand that some of the problems that are plaguing other countries aren’t as severe here, in Tohil. But I’ve also heard some rumors about Tumben pressuring the Biyeho here.”The king and queen sat uncomfortably with the direct nature of Loke’s words. She seemed to lack diplomatic subtlety, but she was there as a priestess and not a true diplomat, so they didn’t expect her to tread lightly around issues, but they also didn’t expect her to be so forward.The king was the most displeased with Loke’s claims. “Miss Loke, I don’t expect you to understand the principals of the Tumben, but it is the most appropriate thing for Tohil moving forward. Why should you need several gods when one that is the same as all of them together is quite sufficient?”Loke listened to the kings words but heard a completely different story in his eyes. The expression of the queen seemed to emphasize it as well. She was confident the conversion was a farce but couldn’t understand why they would need to deny anything in private. “Then, may I ask how other Biyeho in Tohil are faring?”“Our policies are so that no one should be treated unfairly or accused of anything solely on their religious beliefs. However, some people have taken it upon themselves to make some outlandish remarks and there has been some harassment, but it seems to be equally distributed between the parties. To be honest - and you may relay this to Queen Sacniete - but things look nice on the outside are increasingly troublesome. Tensions are running high on both sides and I don’t think it would come to a surprise to anyone if the balance would falter.” The king was careful with his choice of words but as much as he was disclosing Tohil’s situation, he wanted to indict Holom for being in a similar situation and that the queen should focus on her own country.Loke reflected briefly on her own policies and if there was anything she could do to keep Holom from becoming a pressure situation that they were making Tohil out to be. She had her own concerns as a queen but still had her own mission as a priestess.“But please don’t look so unfavorably upon us.” The queen seemed desperate to keep up an image. “We are doing what is best for our citizens. No one really wishes to harm another person, they are simply met with conflicting stories and not fully understanding each other.”Loke agreed with the queen’s assessment. Those same words reminded Loke that the solution was staring her in the face the entire time. The best way to bridge the fear between both of the religions was for them to understand each other. She knew there would be great resistance on both sides, but any strides in a positive direction would certainly be helpful. As long as people were permitted to continue believing their misinterpretations, prejudices would certainly continue. It was what she asked the gods to help Bixun see in Kabra, after all.The king gave the queen a glance of disapproval and addressed Loke again. “Since you’ve come quite a way to meet with us, may we also ask what you’ve learned about the other countries? Information is generally old when it reaches here and there hasn’t been a lot of action diplomatically.”Loke knew the king’s request was probably a political maneuver, but she was well aware about what to keep silent and what to share. “Many rumors that have been spreading about a lot of places are generally true. Palen in Caax is rewarding people for turning in anyone suspected of being a Biyeho, whether or not it’s proven to be true. Yopa has begun turning their towns into soldier training facilities. Sadly, this had already been the state of things in Zipan for quite some time. Nich and Kabra are both still divided, even though the war has been over for quite some time. It’s tense, but functional. Wiil has largely been absent of Biyeho and Tumben. The population has a different belief structure.”“And Holom? How are they faring?” The king expected her to start with Holom and was surprised when Loke omitted it.“The people still live comfortably around each other.” Should anyone start to spread false information or stories, the laws state that they are to be punished. The punishment isn’t severe, but enough to act as a deterrent." Although Loke suspected that Edras wasn’t enforcing much of this specific statute and she knew it was one of the things she needed to address as soon as she returned home. She wasn’t about to overshare the finer points of her own failures in governing. She knew Holom had its own problems and those problems were hers to face alone.“Then we shall pray for Holom’s success during this time.” The queen offered Loke a small smile.While Loke continued to talk with the king and queen with both sides guarding delicate information, Magnar woke up in the infirmary.Only an hour had passed, though he wasn’t aware of the time, nor was he aware of where he actually was. He remembered that he came to the palace with Loke but that was the last thing he remembered. Confused and alone, it meant that Loke was somewhere else and Magnar began to panic. Before one of the doctors could to explain to him what had happened, the room began to shake and Magnar took off out the door. He didn’t recognize the hallways, but his instincts told him to find Loke. He didn’t understand why, but Seneca’s warning to him to never leave her side popped into his mind. Guards gave chase and despite their orders for him to stop, Magnar pressed forward, desperately looking for where Loke could be. The drive to stop his pursuers caused vines to sprout from the marble flooring and entangle the guards’ legs, forcing them to into place. As Magnar rounded another corner, he could see Loke through a window across the courtyard. She was speaking to the king and queen and was relieved that she seemed safe. He also noticed her posture showed a greater poise than he’d ever noticed before. It was a different form of confidence than her performances and she looked like she belonged in that room. It put to rest any doubts about Loke’s official position and he started across the courtyard.The entrance on the opposite side of the courtyard was further away than Magnar would have preferred, but he had no other choice. Disabling a few more guards along the way, he found the room he was looking for. The guards were insistent that he remain outside, despite his protests. Hearing the commotion, the king ordered the door open to evaluate the situation for himself. Loke saw Magnar struggling with the guards and stood up sharply, her face bearing an expression of sheer horror. The look of disappointment she gave him snapped him back to reality briefly as one of the guards managed to knock him unconscious.As Magnar regained consciousness, he heard Loke’s voice as she argued with someone nearby. She sounded angrier than she’d ever been when they fought and felt bad for whomever she was yelling at. Opening his eyes, he looked around and noticed he was locked inside of a prison cell.Loke noticed Magnar sit up and pushed past the guard. “What were you even thinking? Do you realize that what you did was one of the worst things you possibly could have done in any sort of diplomatic sitiuation?”Magnar put a hand to his head and closed his eyes for a brief moment. “This is going to sound inconsiderate, but I don’t know what happened. Honestly. What did I do?”“What did you do? You somehow caused an earthquake, tied down some guards with ivy and picked a fight with I don’t even know how many guards on your way to interrupting our meeting. It took everything I had to keep them from sentencing you to death on the spot! You weren’t anything like yourself. It was honestly terrifying.” Loke couldn’t even describe how angry she was.“I did what? Why would I do that? The last thing I remember was that sitting area.” Magnar didn’t remember anything that she described, but had his suspicions as to why he might have done those things.“And how am I supposed to explain that? Oh, he conveniently doesn’t remember anything? Apparently me, an envoy, is escorted by people that have brain damage aren’t able to control themselves.” Loke was still seething.“Maybe. You said I wasn’t like myself, right? Do you remember that time in the temple in Kabra? Those few days with the library?”Loke crossed her arms. “Not a lot about it, no. But what does that have to do with today?”“Everything, nothing, I don’t know, but a lot of the time there, you weren’t acting like your usual self. And you said you don’t remember anything, right?” Magnar was hoping her rage wasn’t preventing her brain from making obvious connections.“So, you’re comparing my trial as a priestess with your situation?”Magnar was doing everything he could to be discreet about the fact he suspected that his actions were a result of becoming a god, but it did seem like she wasn’t listening to reason. “Okay, forget about that. Remember what I told you about Zipan? About the orbs?”It was a gradual process, but Loke finally realized what he was trying to explain, although she still didn’t understand why he was referencing Kabra again.Magnar watched Loke’s face change from anger to understanding with some of the excitement showing in her eyes he expected from her. “Looks like you get it. Now, can you do something about this? I’d rather like to get back to the inn.”“Ma’am, we need to take you back now.” A guard came behind Loke and touched her shoulder.The guard interrupted before Loke could reply, but she grinned at Magnar and was led away. He didn’t notice it until she turned away, but her hands were bound in front of her. Loke was also taken prisoner, but they gave her the freedom to speak with him. Magnar was mad at himself for not noticing it sooner, but what gave him more concern about how she might be treated was that Loke was without her book.Loke was led to a different corridor. This corridor was where they kept isolated prisoners as opposed to cells for the general captives. Loke’s cell was a solid room and provided the most amount of privacy. The guards wondered why she was here instead of the Magnar, as he was assumed to be far more dangerous, but the king’s orders were absolute. She was to be locked in the most secure room and not to have any guards nearby for her to influence. Loke was helpless. The room was dark and the stone floor was damp. She didn’t mind the musty order since it reminded her of some of the basement libraries she’d visited. Otherwise, she was miserable being locked in without any way of reaching anyone else. Her and Magnar left the inn without a word to Dias or Votan and she worried they would end up in trouble as well, without knowing why. Her biggest source of despair was that her book had been confiscated and she worried about what would happen if someone had actually read it.“So, this is the type of people that a high priestess associates with? I expected more, but it seems that the Tumben might be right about Biyeho. They care for nothing but destruction and chaos.”Loke recognized the king’s voice outside of her small window to the passageway. “That’s what they want you to believe. But there are many Tumben that lust for destruction as well. In the end, neither side is better than the other. Just different.”“Not even going to argue a defense? What a weak priestess you are. Unless - you’re a fraud. This book that you fought to hold onto while being arrested is nothing but blank pages and some personal drivel. Or were you expecting to fill it with tall tales at some point? I did find the section at the back that seemed to be your journal rather informative. The content got a little boring, so I stopped reading but what was the most interesting was that the handwriting was identical to that letter you brought from the queen. So, to me, that could only mean two things. One, you forged it and were somehow able to forger her royal seal in wax. Two, you actually are the queen, masquerading around the world as a priestess. Now, as I see it, I feel like both are pretty plausible, but if the second option the truth, I would reckon that it would be a good time for Edras to make his move. And with the lovely Queen Sacniete trapped in Tohil, there wouldn’t be anyone to stop him. It would only be a matter of time before all the Biyeho are eradicated.”It wasn’t the first time Loke was told her book was blank but never understood why anyone would make that claim. She was even more infuriated that he would dare read her personal writings, but what worried her most was that he evaluated the situation perfectly and was threatening her beloved Holom by supporting Edras. She was thankful the solid door hid her forlorn expression, but she knew she couldn’t be roused here. “Sorry to disappoint you, but your second suggestion that you wanted so much to be true is false. I forged the letter. I even have a forgery of her seal. I carry extra pages of parchment to use at my own whims to gain access to powerful people.”The king clicked his tongue in disappointment. “That is too bad. I was looking forward to handing your body over to Edras so he could display your head on a pike. I’m sure it would have been a lovely display Holom City. But, I could always use it here and show what happens when someone acts out of line and tries to pretend to be someone they aren’t.”“I can assure you that I never lied about being a priestess. But should you have me murdered, the gods would find you unfavorable and the prosperity of your country would crumble. They’re quite unforgiving of those that murder someone of our level. Caax hasn’t fared very well since they arrested and publicly executed the head priest and priestess there. Your country would fall into a similar chaotic situation.” Loke didn’t expect her threats to be taken seriously and wasn’t surprised when the king simply laughed at her.“Without anyone to believe in them, the gods would just disappear, right? We can take care of all Biyeho and when we crush any spark of hope that stands out, they’ll lose their desire to fight and accept that there can be only one.”“You underestimate the gods and the Biyeho. You underestimate me.” Loke was taking a chance, but she knew her lack of affinity for any elements she tried would be able to come in handy at some point. She just needed to continue to keep building the tension with the king and keep him arguing.In the other cell, Magnar was debating what he needed to do. If he was right, then he was one step closer to actually becoming a god - one that could use the powers of earth. Thinking about that much power was overwhelming, so he tried to focus on what he could do now. He knew he had to rescue Loke, but he had no idea where she was and being locked in this cell wasn’t going to get him anywhere closer to figuring that out. The walls were stone and the ground was dirt. It was easy enough at his level to manipulate an exit. He warped the side wall enough to fit between the wall and the end bar. There was one other prisoner at the end of the hall near the door that watched him in disbelief. Magnar held a finger to his lips as he opened the door to dispatch the lone guard.Not knowing where Loke could be, Magnar started down a side corridor when he heard an explosion coming from the hallway in the opposite direction. All the guards rushed down the stairs, screaming something about the king and solitary cells. Magnar had ducked behind a support pillar and casually followed them into the hall full of black smoke. It was impossible to see, but there was a strange sensation that filled the hall and Magnar recognized it instantly. Time had been driven to a near stop, but he was somehow unaffected. A shadow was moving towards him quickly and managed to grab his hand without stopping. Being pulled out of the cloud he realized Loke was covered in ash and was clearly running for her life. Gaining his own footing and running on his own, he managed to catch up to her and pass her, pulling her with him as they headed towards any exit they could find. Magnar was able to keep people from following him with stalagmites and vines.“What happened in there?” Magnar asked as they pulled away from their pursuers.“I don’t have affinity to fire, remember?” Loke spotted a door and grabbed Magnar’s hand and pulled him towards it.Magnar let her lead the way, though he expected she would still get him lost. “Besides that. What were you doing in solitary?”“I’ll explain later. We need to leave. Tohil wasn’t safe for us before and it certainly isn’t safe for us now.” Loke took him down another corridor and recognized the sitting room ahead.“What about the others? What about Blu?”“Later!”Breaking out of the castle and evading the guards, Loke and Magnar were able to duck into an alley long enough to catch their breath. They had barely time to rest when two shadows came towards them. The shadows clearly weren’t guards, but neither Loke or Magnar wanted to fight anyone else.“Well, it seems we were right to worry.” One of the shadows stepped forward and handed Magnar his scythe.“Dias. I couldn’t be happier to see you.” Magnar took the scythe and leaned against the wall.Votan tossed their bags at their feet. “Dias thought something was up, so I snuck around a bit. I heard some foreigners were taken prisoner. Once I found someone that had a description, I figured it was you guys. I guess we’re done in this place? Can we go back to Colel now?” He had been looking forward to the luxury bed that he now wasn’t going to be able to sleep in.“If we can find them. I have a lot of questions for those twins. I’m really worried about Blu right now, too.” Loke strapped her book onto her back.Magnar helped her and picked up her bag, handing it to her. “Once we get out of the city, you’ll need to explain everything that just happened.”“Alright. But only if you tell me more about how you also escaped.”Magnar rolled his eyes. He knew she wanted details about more than just his escape and shouldn’t have been surprised she would use it as a bartering device.
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After turning south to avoid the vicinity of Tohil City, Cam found Loke’s notes almost useless as a guide. No one the group spoke to was aware of any ancient cities or artifacts and their efforts were stalling. Blu suggested that there might be something deeper into the rainforest to the west since in both Wiil and Kabra, the platforms were in isolated areas. He also remembered Loke mentioning guardian villages and wondered if this would be the same.The twins were reluctant to venture away from the river and Blu was having a hard time finding a compromise with them. Cam had been sympathetic, but her duty was to the twins and she couldn’t force their hand. She missed Loke’s ability to convince everyone to move as one. She could lead a group of soldiers with ease, but without the sense of duty, the twins were proving more difficult to wrangle. In the current village they were resting at, Blu heard a rumor about a place deep in the jungle that was prone to excessive lightning, even when the skies were clear. Blu was instantly suspicious and knew it would be Loke’s instinct to investigate. Although Cam supported the idea, the twins’ refusal to go shackled her. Without support from the rest of the group and knowing how important this site was for Loke, he gave up fighting for the group to go and decided to act alone.He felt bad about it, but during the night, Blu snuck out of the small village they were staying in and headed into the rainforest. Loke’s advice was to look where the landscape is most inspiring and he had plenty of clues about the lightning strikes. He knew they had to be connected and if no one else was going to support Loke if she wasn’t around, then he had no choice but to go on his own. The rainforest was unfamiliar and full of unusual creatures. Most of the creatures left him alone, but he had only a few pellets and a cooking knife to try and keep himself safe. He stuck close to the river, following it as it curved upwards into higher elevations. By the time he reached a remote village, he had all but exhausted his supplies and wondered if he’d even get to see Loke or Dias again.The village itself was sparse and looked deserted. It reminded him of the outpost in Nich where they met Dias, but looking around, he continued to find nothing but emptiness. None of the kitchens looked like they had been used in months and any belongings had been rummaged through. As he reached the back of the village, he dropped to the ground and began to weep. A few paces behind the houses was a giant pit with the charred remains of what he suspected were the entire population of villagers. Blu suspected it was quick and callous, but even if they didn’t get a ceremony they likely deserved, his only solace was that most of the bodies were burned down to the bone, though it looked incomplete.On the opposite side of the pit, a staircase that stretched up further into the forest and up the side of what was probably a small mountain. He followed it as far as he could until it lead to a clearing.The area was similar to Kabra. It had a large open valley and the ceremonial platform higher up, but the destruction to the platform was severe and recent. It was covered in profane words, painted across the front and the top surface. Looking out at the valley, he had a new appreciation to what Loke would see from her position, but knew seeing it in this state would break her heart. He found the opening to the temple and the door was smashed. He was small enough to fit between the rubble and into the opening. He found the halls of the temple were desecrated in the same manner of the platform. The inner chamber was even worse. The basins were smashed and the murals were splattered with horrible graffiti. He sat on the preparation platform and looked over the walls. He was able to see past the paint and understand the story that was being covered up.Rehu was what Loke called the spirit of lightning and he assumed the figure in the paintings depicted Rehu’s story. It looked like a quiet woman being antagonized and as he looked down the mural, it showed that places that Rehu would visit would suddenly be struck down. He guessed she was being harassed because of the correlation of the lightning strikes and the visits, but the burning houses showed evil looking creatures. Blu could only assume that she was being accused of striking down houses, when in reality she was purifying them from evil. At the end of the mural, it seemed that everyone figured it out, but it was only after they stoned Rehu’s physical body to death. “I see you can see the story under all of that graffiti.” A voice spoke gently to Blu.The room started to feel a bit prickly, but what concerned Blu the most was the sound of another person. He looked around frantically, but didn’t see anyone. “Where are you? Who are you?”“If you wish to see me, then close your eyes.”Blu was worried but somehow knew he was safe. He closed his eyes and saw the figure from the mural, but less geometric and more lifelike. “You’re Rehu?”Rehu sat beside Blu. “Correct. You’ve got quite the gift. Not only are you able to read past the surface, but you can interpret our stories.”“I don’t really think it’s anything special. Just taking a different perspective.” Blu felt awkward being complimented by anyone, let alone someone powerful.“But it is. You probably don’t realize your blessings, but it is a gift from the god of creativity. I am one of the youngest of the spirits. Coincidence was what brought lightning to villages I visited, but after I was executed, I found myself the keeper of lightning. It’s unusual for spirits to have been anything but a spirit, but I expect anyone would find our situation unusual.” Rehu paused and frowned at the graffiti. “I don’t understand your circumstances, but they have led you to me without the guardian priestess. How have you become separated?”“Loke? She’s trying to talk to important people in the city. A few of us were supposed to look for this place while she was busy, but I didn’t feel like they cared about our task, so I came on my own.”“That’s quite brave. However, without the priestess present, I can’t present you with my power.”“Your power? I am unworthy of such a present. Please, don’t feel obliged to do so.” Blu did seem to recall Loke had participated in some fashion to the other spirit acquisitions so far.Rehu smiled at Blu. “Nonsense. This was why she was heading here, was it not? Besides, you’re the first that has understood and been sympathetic about my plight in a very long time.”“Then, I will go back to find her and bring her here. But she won’t like what’s happened to this place.”Rehu was silent for a moment. “I have a proposition for you. I am not bound to this place. I will support you until you are able to reunite, but once you do, ask her to perform the ceremony for empathy.”Blu tilted his head. “What’s the ceremony for empathy?”“It’s a ceremony that I am quite fond of watching, even if I don’t participate. It hasn’t been performed in your mortal world in a few hundred years, but she’ll know it. It is something your fellow companions might benefit from.”“And that will let me use your powers?” Blu wondered if Loke didn’t have any particular affinity because she was needed as a catalyst for others.“To your heart’s content. You can use that device of yours without any sort of etched object.” Rehu pointed to the gun at Blu’s side. “You won’t need to waste your time and effort on that anymore.”“Will it be safe? It looked like everyone else almost died during their ceremonies.”“It won’t be without risks, as it is a strong power you will be given and you need to be able to handle it. But I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you weren’t worthy for it and if I didn’t trust the guardian priestess.”Blu considered her words and found no reason to doubt her. “Before you go away Rehu, can I ask you something?”“Sure, now is the only time we will have to converse, after all.”“Why are you calling Loke the guardian priestess?”Rehu paused to ponder his question. “I wonder why that is? But it is not my place to explain that to you. In time, everything will fall into place.”“Can you tell me if the ones I left behind in town along the river are bad people?”“The two young gods and their escort? No, they aren’t bad. But they are being overly cautious because they were being followed by those that have bad shadows about them.”Blu was confused. “I don’t know of any gods and I’m not sure what you mean by being followed, but if you say they aren’t bad, then I’ll believe you.”“Then, return to priestess and reunite with your other companions.”Rehu’s figure vanished and Blu opened his eyes. He was still in the inner chamber, but he decided to stay there for the night since it seemed safer than anywhere else nearby. No one could get through the broken door without being about his size or smaller. He planned to travel down the mountain in the morning and head straight for the capital. He was still wary about the twins and was trying to make sense of what Rehu said about them being gods. They didn’t feel very god-like to him and they had gone as far as to pretend to be Tumben.Cam was the first to notice Blu had gone missing and since all of his supplies were gone, she realized that he had voluntarily left them behind. Balan blamed Colel and she blamed Balan, but Cam dropped her large sword between them to stop the argument. “If he left, it was because of all of us. I understand not wanting to lead them there, especially because of what happened there. But he’s in danger and it’s our fault. It’s our responsibility to bring him back, so that’s what we’re going to do.”The twins mumbled an apology and silently gathered their items. They hated being lectured, especially when they are confronted with how wrong they were. They already knew where he would be headed and started in that general direction. Cam easily found his trail, but was concerned that there were other marks nearby that suggested he was being followed. The trio moved quickly, but carefully towards the destroyed guardian village. As the village came into sight, they were nearly knocked back by a lightning strike. As Blu ran past them, not noticing they were there, they scrambled to chase after him.Lightning seemed to strike around them at random, but the strikes were followed by loud cries of someone in pain. Blu knew it was Rehu protecting him and right now could only give her mental thanks. He noticed the others were now following after him but wasn’t sure why or how they found him quickly. He decided he would confront them with what Rehu said after he talked to Loke. She would understand the details more than he could.Outrunning their pursuers, the reunited group paused to rest, but kept alert for anyone else that might be after them.“What gives? Why’d you go off on your own? And what was all that lightning about?” Balan was upset about not only having to see the destruction of the village again, but almost being hit by lightning.“Because no one else seemed to care about what we were trusted to do! I don’t want people to die because of what they believe anymore! I want people to understand each other! I didn’t want to let Loke down. She was depending on us to find this place and staying in that village felt like we were giving up.” Blu was uncharacteristically loud, but he was on the brink of tears by the time he finished yelling at the others.The twins didn’t know how to respond, but Cam was the first to apologize for keeping the temple a secret. “We knew where it was all along, but we would have rather spared everyone the sight of what you found there. We were going to explain some of it to Loke after she was finished in the capital. We should have explained it to you. Though, I don't think any of us expected you to run off in the middle of the night. We were quite beside ourselves!”Blu didn't apologize for running off and wasn’t sure if he wanted to accept their apologies. He understood their reasons, though he felt like they were more of an excuse. It was devastating to see, but he knew Loke would have been able to look past it for her end goals. "I think we should meet up with the others as soon as we can."Having the quietest member of the group suddenly assertive had unsettled the other three. Balan and Colel wanted to avoid the capital, but couldn’t think of a way to argue against Blu now.
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Without any suggestions of where to reunite with Cam, Blu, and the twins, this half of the group found a flat area to rest for the night just off of the main road and not far from a river. Suddenly without the luxuries of an inn, the river would have to suffice for cleaning the soot and ash from the explosion Loke caused. After Loke got herself cleaned up, she dropped her book in front of Magnar, who was sitting on the ground looking over a barely started map of Tohil.Magnar frowned at the interruption. "I was working."Loke didn’t care. "Do me a favor, open this.""You never let anyone touch this. What's going on?" Magnar knew that if he opened it, it would be blank and he didn't know what she would do if she saw it for herself."I'm asking you to open this." Loke knelt across from him and stared at him with a serious expression Magnar wasn't about to argue against.Magnar leaned forward and opened to one of her bookmarks, taking a deep breath as he exposed pristine pages. He glanced up to see her reaction hadn't changed, but he knew she was on the verge of some sort of emotion. "Loke?""It...It really is blank." Loke didn't say anything else but Magnar saw the tears rolling down her cheeks.Magnar didn’t know what to say to her, but he didn’t want her to fall apart from this particular revelation. She needed to be focused and if he had to break a promise to do it, he would. He grabbed one of her hands and slammed it on one of the blank pages. It instantly filled with words and charts and while she tried to pull her hand away, he held it firmly in place on the page."Yes, the book may be blank, but does it matter now? It's been allowing you to extract the information that you already know somewhere deep down. What happened earlier in that palace was part of my fusion process. I lost myself somewhere in there, but I understand so much more now. You went through the same thing in Kabra, Loke. No matter how you say it was different, it was the same. For two days I had no idea who you were and what was happening to you. It's all coming together now." He let go of her hand and pointed to the side of his face where a long mark was starting to become visible. "This is part of all of that."Loke's tears stopped somewhere in the middle of him talking and she started to feel overcome with fear. Once he let her hand go, she pulled it back and stumbled as she stood to run into the trees. She knew not to go too far away, but she didn't want to hear any more. It wasn't that she didn't believe him, but it was that she didn't want any of it to be true. She liked being a priestess. She hated having to be the queen. While the prospect of a god's power was intriguing and Magnar becoming one was curious enough for her, she never wanted that much additional responsibility. She wanted to serve the gods with all hear heart, not become one.Magnar picked up her book and rolled up his map and joined Dias and Votan near the fire."Loke just ran through, what did you argue about this time? She looked quite upset." Dias could still see her shadow in the trees and knew she wasn’t too far away."I might have told her she's actually a goddess." Magnar set her book down in front of Dias and opened it."The pages are empty, but I'm certain I've seen writing on them while she was working." Dias turned a few pages.Magnar nodded. "There are words. When she touches it, at least. She always said it seemed like a book of endless information, and that's because it actually is. It is a conduit for the things she doesn't realize she already knows."Votan flipped through it and looked back up at Magnar with skepticism. "So, being able to make words on the pages makes her a goddess?""In a way. I probably shouldn’t be explaining this, but it might be better so we can try to get her through this." Magnar explained the two days in the inner chamber in the temple in Kabra. He explained about the hidden library, the scroll of the god of knowledge, her drastic mood changes and physical symptoms. He also explained what happened when he spoke with Trir in Zipan and how Trir was the one confirmed any suspicions he may have considered."So, she's not quite a goddess yet, but she will be? And you'll be a god of agriculture? This stuff is really weird." Votan poked at the fire, not really sure how to believe it, but he couldn't deny what was in front of him. He had learned a bit of the basics of Biyeho along the way and while he didn't not believe it, he wasn't sure he could consider himself an actual believer."I've had my suspicions for quite some time, at least in regards to the markings. I heard a rumor about those once before but never was sure that was what they signified. I can see yours plain as day, though it is still quite faint." Dias looked into the woods, finding her shadow, but it didn’t make him any less worried. "We should probably find her if she doesn't come back soon.""She'll come back. She just has a lot to think about." Magnar hoped she would come back sooner than later. There were plenty of unsavory animals in the rainforest.Magnar and Dias wanted to stay up and wait for Loke to come back, but they decided to trust her and left Votan awake to wait for her while they slept. Votan was killing time by whittling a small branch down into nothing when Loke returned. He could tell she had been crying a lot, but didn't say anything to her. Loke bent down to pick up her book and walked over to where Magnar was working on his map earlier. She opened the book with a stick and was hesitant to touch it, but even with the slightest touch, the pages would fill and everything she already read and things she had yet to read were spilling into the margins. Loke still wasn't sure how to accept that everyone that said her book was blank was being honest since it had always had writing. She knew there wasn't anything she could really do about it, as it was something that was already happening, but she regretted not knowing when it started and wished had been aware of it much sooner.Votan came over and squatted across from her. "So, Magnar told us about the book and the goddess stuff. I don't think it's a big deal, but you got those two really worried. If you ask me, I think it makes total sense. You knew a bunch of stuff already, right? So now you'll just know more. Isn't that what the god of knowledge is all about, knowing stuff?"Loke didn't know what she should do but if Votan was even trying to console her, she needed to put herself together. "Thanks Votan. You're absolutely right. I always wanted to know everything. I guess this is my burden to carry for that exchange. When we find the others, I'll be the one to explain it. I owe them that, at least.""Uh, sure. I got some time left on my shift, so you should get some sleep, or something." Votan walked away from her and went to sit somewhere else. He felt awkward having her thank him and wanted to put as much distance from her as he could.The other half of the group spent the entire night on the move. They used a makeshift raft to cover a greater distance on the river and stopped when they noticed that there were footprints on the riverbed. They were all exhausted, but stubbornness kept them moving. Cam asked Balan to scout ahead since he still had untapped energy despite not having slept.Balan wasn't gone very long when he came rushing back with a smile on his face. "You won't believe what I found up ahead. Though, maybe I should say who I found up ahead.""It's entirely too late for this, Balan. What did you find?" Cam was a lot more exhausted than she looked, but she was used to grueling nights and lack of sleep from the battlefield. She wasn’t in the mood for any of Balan’s games."Dias is up ahead. Everyone else is still sleeping though." Balan held out a scalpel he managed to pull out of a tree that was thrown towards him."That's the best news I've heard in ages." Blu started ahead of everyone else. If most of them were sleeping, he might still be able to make them breakfast.After Dias threw the scalpel at Balan, he roused Magnar to help him an eye on the camp since there was someone out there. Magnar didn't appreciate being woken up, but he wasn't about to let someone take them out when they were sleeping.The carless rustling of someone running clearly made it sound like it wasn't any assassin or trained soldier coming for them. When Dias noticed Blu running through the trees toward them, he relaxed and let out a heavy sigh. Reaching the camp, Blu dropped to the ground and nearly fell asleep on the spot, but pulled himself up long enough to properly make a place to sleep. He might have been there early enough but he no longer had the energy to make breakfast. The reunion was brief as the entire party wanted to sleep. Dias volunteered to take the rest of the night as just about everyone seemed to have a day far more difficult than he and Votan did.Over a late breakfast, Loke explained what happened in the palace and about how she was likely becoming a goddess, but until that fully materialized, she could still perform her duties as a priestess."So when you become a goddess, you can't be a priestess?" Blu knew he had a lot of questions for her, but he didn’t want to overwhelm her. Her eyes were still puffy and he knew she wasn’t feeling as upbeat as she sounded.Loke shook her head. "No, Blu, I can't. Think about it, why would a god ask for aid from another god? I mean, there's nothing against that, I suppose, but a full out ceremony to someone that isn't you feels somewhat sad."Colel interrupted with an apology of her own. "Everyone, we should have told you in the beginning. We are the prince and princess of Tohil. We claimed to have converted to protect ourselves and spent a lot of time getting subjected to the matters of the church. But father had become something unrecognizable. He was encouraging the purges and mother said she was against it. I thought I could keep her informed in confidence. I'm so sorry everyone. I placed you in so much danger. And I think that it should also be known that Balan and I are already gods. God of activity and goddess of money. Please forgive us!"Balan also felt responsibility and also asked for forgiveness in synch with Colel.The atmosphere around the camp was tense with everyone seeming to be at odds with each other. Dias felt like the rare neutral party and tried to fix the cracks that were forming. "What's done is done. We still have everyone here, we're all safe. We should be just about done with everything in Tohil, am I correct? We can move on and regroup."Blu stood up and while he was nervous, he knew after everything that was talked about this morning, this would almost seem trivial. "I found the platform. I spent some time in the inner chamber and was able to meet with Rehu. But I can't earn Rehu's power without Loke. She called her the guardian priestess and requested the ceremony for empathy. She said that she enjoyed watching it." After standing awkwardly in silence for a moment, he sat back down as quickly as he stood.All eyes had drifted to Loke, who was too concerned with everything being tossed about that she wasn't as responsive as she might have otherwise been when asked to perform. When she noticed everyone was looking at her, she wasn't even sure what to respond to. Why was she called a guardian priestess? She didn't need any more responsibilities when she just had the biggest one dropped in her lap. She also wasn't sure what the ceremony for empathy was off hand, but she had no doubt it was in her mind somewhere. "Where's the platform?"Blu scratched behind his ear. "It's up the side of the mountain across the river, but Rehu said we don't need to do it there. Plus, I don't think you should visit that area, Loke."“Blu is right,” Cam added. “Tumben extremists razed the protectorate village and desecrated the site. You shouldn’t waste your time going there now.”“Alright. If Blu says we don’t need to be there for the ceremony, then we’ll do it here. But I need time to figure out what this entails.” Loke agreed that it wouldn’t be good for her to see a place like that, but she wondered how much the king knew about it.The group stayed at their campsite, taking shifts to keep a look out for any of Tohil's soldiers that might be looking for Loke and Magnar since now they were wanted in two countries. Loke wasn’t consciously aware of the ceremony of empathy, but deep down knew she could find the information if she focused. However, she was struggling to focus and was staring at the pages of her book in a near trance. Magnar suggested the book showed her things she knew when she needed it, but her thoughts were too distracted for anything that she looked at to make sense. She could never perform a proper ceremony this way and didn't want to end up hurting Blu by her failure to concentrate.Wanting to be supportive, Blu joined Loke to keep her company. Having Blu nearby allowed Loke to focus on what she needed to do now and worry about everything else later. Once she had regained her purpose, the information came across the page easily.The ceremony of empathy was a simple ceremony, but the end results often created a greater bond amongst those that participated. It was unlike most of the others ceremonies as it wasn’t asking for anything. Group ceremonies, outside of sending off a collection of souls to be reborn, were quite rare and this one was meant to share a burden.Loke called everyone over to discuss the ceremony and she hoped that she could get everyone to participate. "The ceremony of empathy is an old ceremony. As we became more selfish as humans, we've forgotten how to empathize with others. While I think most of us have an idea of what each other may be going through, this brings about a shared event. This isn't something to sacrifice or offer and is being done at the spirit Rehu's request.""So what is it that we need to do?" Votan was still on the fence about participating, but wanted to make sure he wasn't going to die, even if she said it wasn't anything like that.Loke cleared her throat. "The method is fairly simple. There will be a circle of herbs and oils that we will sit inside of, one by one, across from each other. I chant some things, we share some thoughts and we move on. It isn’t very descriptive and is open to a little interpretation.""So no possible dying?" Votan wanted to confirm.Loke smiled and shook her head. "No possible dying."Colel offered to help her set up. Loke was relieved she didn't need to go through the typical purification and everyone else seemed willing to cooperate after Votan was assured he wouldn’t die. Once things were set and Loke was in place, everyone sat on the outside of the circle and one by one were asked to step inside it.Blu volunteered to go first, but Loke instructed him that he should be the last person. Colel offered to go first in his place and sat across from Loke. She took Colel's hands and opened with ancient words that essentially asked to be permitted to share the burden each other. They leaned their foreheads against each other and while Loke chanted a soft rhythm, they were both feeling a flood of emotions that weren't their own, but somehow let them understand each other on a deeper level. With Colel, they shared the feeling of having to live up to certain expectations. Once Loke’s chant was over, they separated and Loke let go of her hands. Colel silently returned to the area outside of the circle for the next person to step forward. After the Dias and Cam readily volunteered, the more reluctant ones started to step forward. Balan was followed by Magnar and eventually Votan. Votan and Loke shared feelings of uncertainty, as both of them felt uncertain about their future. When it was Blu's turn, Loke felt a small shock when their foreheads touched. As she chanted, their feelings weren't being transferred between them; instead Loke could feel Rehu's presence around both of them and could hear Rehu’s voice inside her mind."Priestess, I do need to thank you for such a beautiful ceremony. I'm sure it would have been even more spectacular if it was not so hastily demanded, but I thank you eternally. Blu has enough empathy for everyone, so I will simply place my trust that you will guide everyone. Please do not falter and continue to do what you feel is the right thing. You may not be thought of fondly at first, but they will come to see someday.""Rehu, why did you call me the guardian priestess when you met with Blu?" Loke didn’t want to waste the chance to exchange words with a spirit, even if it was only in her mind."For you are the guardian to all of history. Guard it well, keep it safe. You may become a goddess someday, but your human side is still a priestess. You of all people will come to learn that even gods and goddesses can support each other."Rehu left Loke's consciousness and the area, giving Blu control of her powers. Loke's final round of chanting had become painful as Rehu's power entered into Blu's control. She felt the static around them and fought the urge to quickly distance herself. Once the ceremony finished, everyone except for Loke seemed to feel a little lighter, as if a burden had been lifted. Loke was still plagued by other consuming thoughts, as well as now the feeling of everyone else's' burdens. She understood why this ceremony might have fallen out of favor.Colel and Balan were cleaning up the dishes for Loke when Magnar came up to Blu and put an elbow on his shoulder, but drew back quickly as he felt a shock. "I guess your lingering effects are static."Dias was close by and had seen Magnar get shocked. He knew Blu would worry about it and intervened. "But it will only be temporary. I no longer glow and Cam has her regular eye color back. Although, Magnar, what was your anomaly?"Magnar was confused. "Me? You didn't notice that I was constantly filthy? It was like dirt was coming out of my pores.""The argument could be made that you're always dirty." Dias smirked."Dias, you're sounding like her now." Magnar was trying to keep the mood light, but the joke flopped as it didn't even seem like Loke heard him."I'll talk to her." Colel motioned for everyone else to leave and once they were gone, she sat across from Loke. "Hey, you're supposed to be our leader. We're all here to support you on this trip around Itzam. If it's the whole becoming a goddess thing, I've been there. You can ask me all sorts of questions! I can't quite help you with the priestess stuff, but you can feel free to tell me. We're all friends, right?"Loke had a hard time looking at Colel and gave her a nod to acknowledge she heard her. After a moment of silence, she managed to pull herself together and look at Colel. "Thanks Colel. We'll have some time on the way to Nich, so I'll be sure to come up with some concrete questions for you."Colel rejoined the rest of the group and shook her head. “I don’t know what we can do for her, but she did mention going to Nich. Do you think it’s just to the port or something else?”“Who cares, let’s just get out of here tomorrow. The old man is crazy and I’d rather him not find us or deal with him right now. I still can’t believe you let them know what was going on.” Balan snapped at Colel.“I didn’t think Mother would tell him any details. I just wanted to let her know we were safe!” Colel looked like she was on the verge of tears.“Both of you, stop.” Cam wanted to stop the fight before it began. “It’s already been discussed. We can’t do anything about it now, so we’ll just keep moving forward.”The twins snorted at each other after Cam’s lecture and stormed off to bed. Magnar volunteered for the first watch with Cam after everyone else retired for the night.“Cam, what really happened in the protectorate village? I don’t think it was extremists.” Magnar asked when they were alone.“I was fighting the war in Kabra at the time, but I heard it all from the kids. There weren’t any extremist Tumben groups, as you said. They said that a very pale woman with hair as dark as night dressed in a really tight dress came by. Balan made sure to note her dress. But after her visit, the king and queen decreed that they would be converting. While on the outside, nothing was to change between the Biyeho and Tumben, small Biyeho villages would disappear. By the time they reached the protectorate village, most lost all hope. Blu didn’t detail what he saw because not only would it have crushed Loke, but probably upset the rest of us. I haven’t been there, personally, but I heard that they burned everyone alive. The entire platform and temple has been vandalized and partially destroyed. Even thinking about it makes my blood boil; I can’t imagine what it would have done to Loke if she saw it.” Cam clenched her fists. She was from a guardian village herself, she knew the importance of the platforms and for someone to do such a thing to a historic location was unforgivable.Magnar nodded. “It’s definitely best he didn’t tell us. She’s already in a bad place and it would have either broken her completely or made her snap in a way I’m not sure I want to see. But what’s with the lady in the dress?”“I believe it’s Saal. She’s supposedly an unrivaled beauty and the way Balan seemed smitten so easily, I wouldn’t be surprised. He rarely looks at anyone for his own tastes but makes sure people stay away from Colel. I suspected her especially after the sudden decision for the family to convert. It seems she’s had her influence in Yopa and Caax.”“That makes a lot of sense.” Magnar almost laughed. “Palen would do anything for a pretty girl if she asked him to.”“You’re familiar with Palen?” Cam was surprised.“Yeah. We grew up together.” Magnar confirmed. “Our farms were next to each other. I guess you could say we were more rivals than friends, though that is probably just from his perspective. His family sold the farm and moved to Teo when we were teenagers, so I guess as he lived in the city, he forgot about the important things to all of us in the countryside. He was surprisingly popular and nominated to run for Aja. I can’t really believe he won, but I can’t really say it was bad, at least at the time. Palen’s not a bad guy at heart, but he gets jealous easily and can hold a grudge. I guess I hoped he wouldn’t have let those traits sway him.”“You might be the best person to confront him,” suggested Cam.Magnar shook his head emphatically. “I know he won’t listen to me. He already has extra inspections of my property trying to catch me in the middle of some sort of offering. Ever since the one girl he liked in our small school turned him down because she liked me instead, he’s had it out for me. I couldn’t stand her, so I don’t know what the big deal even was. We were ten. But, like I said, he holds grudges.”“Even still, he probably pushed anyone else away that might have been his friend in a similar manner. I’m sure you’ll be able to reach him since he knows you wouldn’t be after his power or for any favors.”Magnar chuckled. “He’s even less happy after the last visit he made to my farm. We were harboring a bunch of Biyeho that Loke wanted to relocate to Holom from Yopa and Loke called him an ogre. Of all the things you could use to insult a person, ogre was the one thing he hated the most growing up.”
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Colel and Balan led everyone across the river and through more rainforests to reach the northern port. It was a small port that wasn’t traveled frequently, but the men in the ship yard were familiar with Balan as he would occasionally come and play on the docks. He had no problems securing transportation to Nich and many of the people in the port were generous enough to give the royal children and their friends provisions at no cost.No one seemed to have any luck getting through to Loke. She barely spoke to anyone and when she did, it was nothing of significance. They rarely saw her open her book and if she wasn’t sleeping, she was staring into nothingness. On the ship, she was frequently seen near the rear, leaning on the rail watching the empty sea. They were a half day away from the port in Nich when Magnar leaned against the rail next to her.“You don’t have to talk to us, that’s your business, but you can’t continue this way. You’ve barely eaten and I’m not sure how much you have been sleeping, but I also don’t think it’s been much either. Blu’s been trying everything to get you to smile and Colel has been trying to teach him in your place, though he is too distracted to focus. Whether you want them to or not, they’re worried about you. How many times has Dias and Cam come over here?”“Seventeen.” Loke’s gaze never changed and she stared blankly over the water.“Oh, you do have a voice!” Magnar said sarcastically before giving a heavy sigh. “I’m not going to pretend I know what’s going on in that overflowing mind of yours, but we’ll be in Nich soon and if you want any of us to help you there, you need to tell us how to help you now.”Loke was silent for a long moment before she replied. “I’ve figured a lot of things out, but I don’t know how to confront them. I overheard your conversation with Cam back in Tohil. I think that helped me figure out who Saal is and what her aim is. She’s tremendously powerful and I may have inadvertently made her stronger.”“So, a lady in a dress is the driving force that’s ruining the world for all Biyeho?” Magnar hardly believed a single woman could cause so much of an uproar, though having traveled with Loke and being wanted in two countries, he knew it was possible.Loke nodded. “She’s influenced Yopa significantly, and if she approached Palen, then that would explain what is happening in Caax. If it was her that visited the king in Tohil, then it stands to reason that she may have been partially responsible for the civil wars in other areas. I refused to meet with her in Holom, but if Edras met with her, then even Holom will be in trouble.” “Then it’s easy, isn’t it? We go and stop Saal from seducing all the other rulers.” “It isn’t easy. I think she’s the goddess of deception. That kind of power isn’t one you can easily combat. She’ll excel in fooling everyone to get her way. Deception is remarkably dangerous.” Loke’s gaze shifted down to the water from the horizon.Magnar was puzzled. “What’s her goal, then? If she gets rid of all the Biyeho, then wouldn’t that work against her?”“It could, but if she convinces everyone that there is only one god, she would need to ensure that the one god is a deceitful god. All the other gods would be forgotten and she would have immense power.” Loke suspected it was more complicated, but that was the easiest way she found to explain it.“That’s a lot of speculation, but it might not be too far off.” Dias leaned on the other side of her on the rail and smiled.“Dias…” Loke looked away from the water and at Dias.“I heard rumors about someone like her before the war broke out. I don’t know how she would have convinced Quiri of anything. She’s fairly stubborn when she wants to be. She would certainly need something besides sex appeal to sway her, that’s for sure.”“Quiri is the chancellor of Nich, right?” Loke wondered why Dias seemed to have such familiarity with Quiri.“She is. While we’re here I think it may be time for you to meet her. It won’t be that difficult once we get to Liyas.” Dias wasn’t excited to go to Liyas, but he wasn’t opposed to it like the twins had been for Tohil City.Relieved that Nich seemed to be one destination, Loke revealed more of her plan. “Liyas is where I wanted to go. I wanted to look into the volcano that is also in that lake for Balan. If we have to face Saal directly, we’ll all need to be prepared as best as we can. I know everyone’s affinity and I figured out where to find them all. Well, at least the ones for everyone else.”“You deciphered the passage?” asked Magnar.Loke nodded at Magnar and looked back toward the horizon. “I did. I also need to show you something later that you may appreciate. But first, we’ll take care of all business here. We’ll l see if Agha is generous to Balan, meet with Quiri and go back to Caax.”“Whoa, wait, why would you want to go back there?” Magnar wasn’t looking forward to a homecoming just yet.“For Votan. I know he’s come to you to learn bits and pieces, Dias,” Loke glanced at Dias and then back to the sea, “but while he may not have admitted it to himself, he’s Biyeho through and through. That story he heard in Nono was no doubt a true story. And we should take care of that ogre while we’re there.”Magnar scratched his head. “It might not be a good idea to call him an ogre again if you don’t want him to get violent. He may seem like he’s soft, but he always worked very hard to keep up with me. He won’t be an easy opponent if he ends up fighting for himself.” Though he knew Palen wouldn’t attack Loke and he’d likely be the one he’d fight. Though he wondered why Loke even referred to him as an ogre, as she never used disparaging terms for anyone else – even him when they fought.“You said that Caax is for Votan, but that would still leave Colel and yourself, wouldn’t it?” Dias had mentally been going through each person and the blessings they had been given.“Fire in the deep water. Colel’s trial is under the frozen lake in Zipan,” recited Loke.Dias didn’t understand how the lake in Zipan made sense when there were plenty of other lakes and even the ocean that was deeper. “That’s Colel, but you’ve been guiding all of us to these places, shouldn’t there be something for you as well?”Loke shook her head to Dias’ question. “My affinity towards anything is remarkably non-existent. I suppose it makes sense if I’m to be the goddess of knowledge.”“That isn’t completely true. What’s that symbol you carved into your bracelet for?” Magnar pointed at her wrist.Loke looked at the symbol she roughly scratched into the gold. “Timop. Timop is time. Time constantly moves, so there wouldn’t be a particular place to find him. Besides, I don’t have any idea if that would even be a viable option for me at this point.”Magnar turned his body in her direction and crossed his arms, leaning his side against the rail. “Did you forget the last part of that passage when I told it to you?”“No. But if you can figure out where time stands still, then please inform me of it.” Loke stood straighter and turned to face him defiantly.“Aren’t you all sorts of knowing now?” Magnar’s voice started to rise in volume as he felt the familiar beginning of a typical Loke argument starting.“Not at all. All I seem to know is ancient. I know the history, I don’t know of any places now that would be as they were then. Apparently even my knowledge has limits.” Loke’s tone began to match Magnar’s and she was suddenly much more animated.“Ah! You guys are arguing again!” Blu was nearby when he heard them starting to raise their voices at each other. He couldn’t have been happier to hear them fighting because it meant that Loke wasn’t ignoring everyone anymore. He was overcome with joy and hugged her tightly.Loke wasn’t sure how to handle his sudden hug and resolved to pat his head. “Is our argument really something that exciting?”“It is! It means you’re you again!” Blu let her go and ran to find Colel and Cam to share the good news.Nich’s port was starting to become a familiar stopping point. Before all eight had disembarked the boat, Winter had already spotted them and was waving her hand for them to see her. The group had forgotten they last saw her in this port and were more surprised she was still here, as she frequently moved from place to place. Always willing to help her friends, Winter arranged for free lodging and offered to pay for dinner. Many details of their journey had been left out during the dinner conversation, but everyone had found a way to relax and forget about their burdens and troubles for a night. No one realized that Winter had been serving Loke the same as Magnar, Dias, and Cam until her head was on the table and she was muttering incomprehensible language.“Was she drinking?” Magnar knew how much he and Dias had been drinking because they were next to each other, but Loke was at the other end with Cam and Blu on either side of her.“I think so? Winter poured for her after me.” Cam had even more than Magnar did and she didn’t seem to be feeling any effects, though she was known in the Kabra forces to hold her liquor well.“Winter, did you give her alcohol?” Magnar felt the color run from his face.Winter nodded cheerfully. “Yeah, she was keeping up with Cam, so I think she had six glasses. Is that bad?”“Not good. I’ve seen her wasted on a half glass of wine.” Magnar remembered that night and shuddered at the memory.“She’s just muttering in her sleep, right? It’ll be fine!” Winter was always optimistic and she didn’t understand why he would have been so worried about Loke drinking.Colel was diagonally across from Loke and was able to pick up on some of the words she was muttering and turned bright red. “I think it would be a good idea to get her upstairs.”“Well, yeah, if they heard her talking like that, anyone would be worried, right?” Balan didn’t know the content of Loke’s muttering, but if anyone overheard them, he was sure they’d be exposed as Biyeho, or at least harboring one.“No Balan, it’s much more than that.” Colel quickly went to help Loke off the bench and her hand was slapped away. Loke said a few more things that kept Colel’s face bright red and she walked over to Magnar. “You need to take her upstairs. Now.”Magnar pointed to himself. “Me? Is she that unhappy with you?”“It isn’t so much that she’s unhappy with me, but what she said. I’m certain it’s the alcohol, but she demanded that you take her upstairs.” Colel intentionally refused to elaborate.Magnar wasn’t happy about having Loke dictate his life in her sleep, but he figured he could dump her on her bed and return to the festivities. He went to the end of the table and with Colel’s help, got her on his back to carry her up to the room. He still didn’t know what she was saying but it sounded similar to last time. Yet something about her tone tonight was sharper and more confident. It didn’t really matter to Magnar, as long as she wasn’t left to embarrass herself around everyone else. “I’ll be back. If someone wants to watch her sleep, feel free to come along.”Colel shook her head vigorously and watched Magnar carry Loke away.“Colel, what was she saying? You look embarrased.” Votan was really curious to know what got her so flustered.“Ah, Votan, it isn’t anything important. Just some really ancient, um,” Colel hesitated, wanting to deflect any questions about it, “poetry.”Votan frowned. “Poetry? I thought you hated poetry.”“No, I just hate yours.”Colel turning down Votan once again brought the group back to good spirits. Eventually Magnar came back and poured a drink for himself that he quickly drank and refilled.“I’m not sure this is meant to be chugged. Did something happen?” Winter reached to take the pitcher away from Magnar.“No, not really. But it isn’t a good idea to give her any alcohol. Ever.” Magnar declined to explain himself.Cam and Colel weren’t really sure what Magnar’s definition of ‘not really’ was in regards to anything happening was, but when they returned to their room, Loke was fast asleep with her hands tied in front of her and her ankle tied to the end of the bed.“Colel,” Cam looked at the princess, “what was she saying last night? Obviously something happened here.”Colel flushed bright red and shook her head frantically as if she was trying to forget. “It was far too vulgar for me to even repeat. I can’t even suggest that she would consciously know any of what she was describing.”Cam was intrigued but untied the rope from her wrists and covered her in a blanket. “I suppose I shouldn’t ask how you knew them if they were so vulgar.”“The words themselves weren’t vulgar, just how they were being used was… Never mind. Can we just forget about it, please?” Colel wanted to forget about the entire night.The next morning, Loke awoke before dawn and struggled to remember where she was. She remembered having a rather robust meal with everyone and then nothing after. Her head throbbed and she felt queasy. She saw Colel and Cam sleeping but when she tried to get out of bed to use the wash room, she fell to the floor with a thud.Cam sat up sharply and noticed Loke in a heap on the floor. “Loke, are you alright?”“Maybe? I don’t think so.” Loke held her head.Cam helped her back onto the bed and sat beside her. “It’s probably a hangover. I was impressed you were keeping up with me, but it seems that alcohol doesn’t do you any favors.”Loke hunched forward. “So it seems. I didn’t embarrass anyone, did I?”“Not directly. You were muttering in the ancient language but no one could really understand any of it. Colel claimed what she understood was unimportant. But you demanded that Magnar bring you here. Do you remember anything from then?”Loke shook her head. She wasn’t sure what Cam was talking about. What could she have been saying and why would she have demanded Magnar bring her to her room? If anything she’d almost anyone besides him. “I remember Winter telling us about some of the stories she picked up around the docks, but nothing after that.” Loke froze and looked at Cam, horrified. “He didn’t…”Cam shook her head. “I don’t know the circumstances, but your hands were bound and your foot was tied to the bed. It seemed to be more for your safety than anything inappropriate.” She could only assume that was why her foot was tied to the bed, so she wouldn’t fall out of it, but Cam still didn’t understand why her hands were tied together.Loke’s fingers slid along the sides of her head and she held fistfuls of her hair. She desperately wanted to remember and was frustrated that she couldn’t. As she was waking up, she was starting to be reminded of her concerns about Liyas and Saal. She was terrified of Saal and what her influence had already done and would continue to do. She felt Cam’s arm around her and relaxed her fingers.“Forget about last night. It doesn’t matter. What matters is what we do today. Tomorrow will only matter if we are successful today. At least, that’s what I used to tell my squad after a bad day. It seemed to lift their spirits.” Cam let go of Loke and patted her on the shoulder. “Sleep some more. You’ll feel better after breakfast.”Magnar woke up safely, to his own surprise, though he was thoroughly hung over. He was certain that Loke would have found some excuse to boil him or freeze him or something similarly abusive to wake him. Maybe he was just lucky enough that she hadn’t woken up yet at all. No one seemed to be in the room and most of the items had already been packed. Downstairs in the closed pub, he found everyone waiting for him. “You could have woken me up sooner.”“Blu and I both tried. But you drank quite a lot after you came back downstairs last night. We all decided it was best to let you sleep most of it off.” Dias made room for him on the bench.Loke pulled the large parchment she gave Magnar in Holom out of his map tube and spread it on the table. She was a little sad that it was still blank, but it seemed to be to her benefit today. “Now that everyone is here,” she pointedly glared at Magnar, “I’m only going to do this once and hopefully we can put an end to this entire ordeal.” She placed her left hand on the bottom corner and the map began to create itself from the southern point of Wiil through the eastern side of Zipan. Something seemed off about it to Magnar but everyone else were stunned with how it appeared out of nowhere.“Great, now she takes the only joy in my life away.” Magnar was disappointed that she could instantly create something he toiled - but enjoyed - working on.Loke ignored Magnar’s complaint and kept going. “This is what Itzam looked like several thousand years ago. The land is mostly the same, but some of it has changed along the way. Currently, we’re around here and heading towards the lake. We will head to Liyas and from there we will have 2 objectives. One, to send Balan to the spirit of water and two, to meet with the chancellor. Once we are finished there, we will return to Caax. I suspect this is where things will be start to become difficult. Somewhere in the middle of nothing will be an opportunity for Votan.”“I never said I was Biyeho, though.” Votan interrupted.“You never needed to.” Loke’s reply to Votan was spoken as if she made it part of her planned lecture. “After that, we will need to brave Yopa and head into Zipan. Both are dangerous, but Zipan is the most dangerous place for any of us and we will need to reach the frozen lake in the east for Colel before we encounter Empress Saal.”Balan sat up straighter. “You want us to face Saal? I don’t think that’s a good idea. I saw what she did to our parents. No deal.”“Balan, I understand your hesitation, but if you want your parents to act as they once did, then someone is going to have to face her and break her enchantment. If you don’t want to come, I’m not going to force you, but I would need your answer before we arrive in Liyas. There won’t be any use going into a volcano if you won’t be there in the end.” Loke took a deep breath. “That’s for everyone else, too. I won’t think anything less of you if you decide to back out. It will be hard. We might die. But as much as I want to just run away, I can’t leave Saal’s influence unchecked.”“So if I don’t go along for fighting Saal, you won’t lead us to the water spirit?” Balan was conflicted. As a god, he wanted to do something to help his worshipers, but what good would it do if he died in the process?“If we have a favorable outcome with Saal, then after I can always show you the way, but time is running out for all the Biyeho of Itzam. I know I’m at fault for a lot of the delay, but everything is quite clear to me now.” Loke looked down at the map and watched Magnar tracing around her hand. “What are you doing?”“You said you were going to do this once, so I figured I would draw in as much as I could.”Loke pulled her hand off the paper and the dark lines had vanished, leaving light tracings of what Magnar was able to trace. The meeting dissolved into side chatter and a late breakfast.“Cam, she really listened to your pep talk this morning. I was quite surprised how authoritative she seemed. I thought she was only really that confident during rituals.” Colel was starting to appreciate Loke more than she had before.“I’m a bit shocked myself, actually. But I think most of that was redirected anger at Magnar tying her up.” Cam sipped at her coffee but found it to be too hot.“I didn’t think you were going to tell her. Although, maybe I should tell her some of the things she was saying.”“No, Colel,” Cam said, “I don’t think that would be a good idea. She’s focused and it would only be a distraction.”With the group dynamic back to their level of normal, they headed into the grasslands aboard a covered wagon that was bringing supplies to Liyas. Now wasn’t a time to hesitate and finding the fastest way to their destinations was their highest priority. Even Colel stopped being concerned with their budget in regards to lodgings and transportation. She still prohibited Balan for picking up expensive knick knacks.Liyas looked like it was trying its best to prosper, but it was quite obvious to even a casual observer that there was something greatly lacking in the city. They were dropped off near the city’s entrance and let Dias lead them toward the docks where they could travel to the chancellor’s island or to the volcano.“Where are we going first?” Balan had agreed to stick around after talking it over with Colel. Without them, Loke’s cause was down three people. If he agreed, not only would Loke’s chances for success increase, but he might get some cool water powers.Dias answered in Loke’s place. “I think it might be a good idea to go to the volcano first. I can send a messenger to the island so that they can be prepared to greet us when we return.”“Dias, I’ve been holding off on this question and I know Loke’s been curious, but how are you able to get us to the chancellor so easily?” Magnar asked.“I thought I had mentioned it when I suggested the visit. My apologies. Quiri is my sister. Though, I should let you know that she is often wearing a mask in her appearances. An accident as a child had given her a bit of disfigurement.” Dias knew he hadn’t mentioned it, but it would be a matter of time before they found out. “That accident is why I became a doctor.”“It feels like everyone else is somehow tied to one of Itzam’s leaders.” Blu was making an observation, but outside of him and Votan, it seemed true.“I’m not! I have no relation to Jaina whatsoever.” Votan declared. “Although, Wiil doesn’t interfere with the rest of the world, so no one really hears much out of him. But if Colel wished for it, I would gladly become her prince.”“I don’t think I wish for that.” Colel barely let him finish speaking before she declined him again.Dias quickly prepared a message to be sent along to the island as soon as possible and they rented a boat to head towards the volcano. Balan was excited to see what would happen to him in a volcano, but he was too anxious to face Saal.Balan’s lessons from Ezra allowed him to control the boat easily and they reached the volcanic island in a few short hours.The dock belonged to a lively village. Dias confirmed that most people here should be Biyeho and it was indeed a protectorate village. Loke hadn’t seen any Biyeho living their lives worry free in a long time, it made her homesick. She nearly fell off the dock when Magnar told her to go around by herself and that everyone else agreed that it should be fine as long as she stayed in this village. It was a good chance for everyone to have a bit of time on their own and it was a small enough village that they would no doubt run into each other frequently.Dias lingered back with Magnar as everyone seemed to go their own way. “Was it a good idea to let her go off on her own?”Magnar watched Loke pause at a few merchant stalls. “She’ll just think she’s alone. I plan on following her around just in case. We could all use our own space for a bit, but it’s hard considering the situation. I still have a nagging feeling we’re not done with Betti yet, either.”“You’re probably right. I doubt being knocked off a boat did much to sway someone as persistent as he is.”“You’ve got to be kidding…” Magnar noticed Loke starting to move quickly through the people and ducked down an alley. “Dias, I’ll find you later.”Dias watched him chase after Loke. He suspected that she figured out his game and decided to outwit him. The argument already was playing in his mind. In the meantime, Dias hadn’t been home in a long time and decided to see how their home was holding up without anyone living in it.The harbor was the rendezvous point for everyone and by the time Magnar came back, he looked exhausted while the rest of them seemed relaxed and a bit refreshed. Dias was the last to arrive and even he seemed to be in high spirits.“I have good news for all of you.” Dias seemed unusually upbeat. “I have found an empty house that we can stay in tonight. It won’t be a problem with anyone as the house is actually mine.”Dias had been quite secretive about himself the entire time anyone in the group knew him. They were baffled by his sudden revelations – not only that Quiri was his sister, but his house was in the protectorate village and he was actually going to let everyone stay in it.Dias’ house was near the back of the village, but it was close to the path up the volcano. Dias gave everyone their own space to sleep and he took Blu to his practice room. It was a small room with a single table and a bookshelf off to the side. There were a number of bottles of medicine and cages that once housed small animals.“I don’t seem to have much need for much of this stuff any longer, but if you would like, my research journals are on that shelf. It’s the best I can do to pass my medical knowledge onto you.” Dias handed Blu one of the journals.Blu was overwhelmed. He hadn’t been pestering Dias to learn more lately because he suspected that when he was given the power to heal, he wouldn’t have much to teach him anymore. “Are you sure I’m allowed to read your journals?”“Of course. It’s all experiments. There isn’t anything personal in those, if that is what you mean.”Blu thanked him and already was flipping through the pages. He found Dias’s handwriting surprisingly neat, though many of the words seemed to exceed his own vocabulary. He also found the diagrams and illustrations well drawn and wondered why Dias never let anyone know of these talents.Loke had found a shelf of children’s storybooks and decided that it would be a nice change of pace to read something simple. She made herself comfortable on the window seat and started to flip through some of the books. Magnar immediately fell asleep on a chair in the main room and Votan somehow convinced Balan to teach him some games to pass the time. Balan generally avoided Votan except to keep him away from Colel, but if he was teaching Votan games, he couldn’t harass his sister. Colel sat by herself outside in the yard casting stones and wondering if the future was going to be bleak. Cam was also in the yard, but in the rear of the house to sharpen her swords and Dias briefly checked on her before he went up to his own familiar bed. No one commented on the sunflowers that seemed to bloom beside Magnar while he slept, but Colel and Balan both knew Magnar’s soul was blending more with the god of agriculture.
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The path up the volcano was treacherous, but still easier than the mountains in Kabra. No one actually knew what was meant by water surrounded by fire, but Dias knew that there was a room in the center of the volcano that was surrounded by magma that resembled the other temples they had been to previously. He didn’t know about any water, but this was the place that seemed to match Loke’s map. Inside the doorway, there was a long staircase down the side that spiraled around the side of the mountain towards a small area in the center that seemed to have bubbling magma surrounding it.“Was there a point of putting steps to lead all the way up here and then steps back down on the inside?” Magnar complained as he started down the steps. He could feel the intense heat through the bottoms of his boots and thought that the heat in Wiil wasn’t really all that bad in comparison.“This was already here long before my time. You’d have to ask some ancient people. Or someone that knows about them.” Dias glanced back at Loke who shook her head since she didn’t know much of anything about it.Votan was fanning himself with his hat. “I think the heat here makes Wiil feel super comfortable. I feel like I got swallowed up by fire itself.”“I could arrange that for you, Votan.” Colel whispered to him then laughed.“I’d rather be engulfed in the fire of your love instead.” Votan grinned at her.Colel made a scowling expression briefly as she nearly got pushed into the wall by Balan running past them and down the stairs as fast as he could. “Balan! Slow down! You’re going to push someone off the side into the fire!” Cam was at her wits end when he was taking something as a game. He had almost no control or consideration for what was around him.At the bottom of the stairs they stared at the open area. There was a platform that resembled the ones inside the temples where someone would prepare for a ritual, but Loke hadn’t noticed any sort of official platform. “Dias, is there no formal platform for ceremonies in this village?”“No. Just this. But it wasn’t as if we had anything fancy going on in here either. It does seem that there is less space than before though. We used to be able to simply step over the lava ring as kids.” Dias looked around and wondered if anywhere was narrow enough for them to cross.“Getting over this isn’t a big deal.” Magnar had been working with the powers that Trir gave him and a small bridge to cross over a smaller space wasn’t difficult for him now. The ground pushed out from in front of them and arched to the center area. “See? Easy.”Single file, the group crossed the molten rock and looked around the open space. The space was absent of the murals that the other temples had and only the platform was present. Loke found the usual basins were present, but empty. The top of the platform was covered in a deep blue tile that resembled the ocean she stared at while sailing from Tohil to Nich.Blu noticed Loke earnestly looking at the table and noticed the tiles as soon as he reached her. “So they put the mural here instead.”“This is something more than just looking like the ocean?” Loke didn’t see it. She just saw the familiar blue of the sea.“Yeah. Well, it seems to be a story of the sea.” Blu described as he looked over the tiles. He found it much easier to read than most books. “When the waves are gentle, everyone is happy, but if something causes a rough tide, everyone gets mad at the sea.”“That’s just general knowledge of sailors.” Loke had heard the lore plenty of times as a child from Ezra.“But there’s more,” Blu continued. “It seems that if it stayed calm for a long time, the fishermen got upset and water was quite unsure how to conduct itself. It ends there with a whirlpool.”“I’m quite amazed you can ever get anything out of these.” Loke crossed her arms and stared at the tiles.“Rehu said it was the god of creativity that gave me this gift. I never realized it was anything special.”Loke ruffled Blu’s hair. “You never told me that! But it seems to make a lot of sense. But now to figure out how this relates to Balan.”“What about me?” Balan popped up behind Loke, causing her to jump.“Please don’t do that.” Loke took a few deep breaths before trying to explain the table to him.Balan looked over the table. “I don’t quite see it, but basically, water’s confused on how to make everyone happy, right?”“It seems that way.” Blu confirmed.Noticing the three conversing at the table, the remaining members of the group joined them around it.“Have you found something?” Cam wondered if there was something here but only saw blue tiles.“Yes and no. It tells Agha’s story, but I don’t know how to reach him.” Loke sighed but was caught off guard again by Balan when he climbed up on the table. “What are you doing?”“It looks like a pool of water to me. I figured maybe I could just take a quick dip in it!”Before anyone could comment about how absurd his suggestion was, he sank into the table as if it had been made of water and only a single ripple flowed at the surface.“Balan!” Colel called after him, but Balan was seemingly gone. “Loke, isn’t there anything we can do, like when Cam went into the darkness?”Loke shook her head. “Both sides of water are spirits we don’t have the support from just yet. Unfortunately he is on his own.”“What does that even mean? Both sides?” Colel was frantic and she could see everyone else was worried, but this was her brother, her twin and she needed to know he was safe.“Each spirit is sensitive to another. Light and shadow are each other’s strength and weakness, but the other four work in a cycle. Water is weak to wind but strong against fire. Without either one of those spirits, we can’t do the same thing we did in the desert. And there wasn’t any sort of ritual related to this.” Loke looked at the floor, feeling helpless.“Then you can’t do anything? We just wait until he never comes back?” Colel was angry at Balan for acting without thinking again, but angry at Loke for not explaining the risks ahead of time. She would have demanded to go to Zipan first if it would have helped Balan here.“Colel…” Cam reached out to rein her in, but Colel squirmed away. Colel wanted Balan back, she wanted him to be safe, she wanted to go with him if she could.Inside the pool, Balan continued to sink far down, but it didn’t seem like breathing was a problem at all. As he sank further and further down, he saw something at the bottom of what looked like a garden of bubbles. He moved through the garden until he found the indeterminate shape of a small child.“Hey, you ok down here? Did you want to play a game?” Balan thought the kid looked sad.“I don’t think I should,” the kid replied.“What’s wrong? I’m Balan. You can tell me anything.”“I know who you are. You’re a god. You’re a prince. You’re with other gods and some of them are able to use the powers of the other spirits.” The kid seemed to be hugging his knees, but it was hard for Balan to tell.“Ah, so you must be Agha. You must be lonely down here. Let’s go join the others. I’m sure some of them would want to meet you.” Balan knew Loke would love the chance to talk to a spirit and even Colel might be interested.The shape rippled, but didn’t move. “No. I only bring misfortune and unhappiness. If I stay here like this, I don’t have to make anyone unhappy.”Balan thought for a second. “Nope. Wrong. If you stay here, I’ll be unhappy. And no matter what anyone does, they can’t always please everyone all the time. I keep trying to tell that to Colel too, but she won’t seem to listen. Anyway, aren’t you happy when I offer my arrows to you?”“It does make me feel a little useful, but I don’t like to upset people.”“Then come with me. I’m probably going to be using a lot of arrows soon. And I could really use a new friend. Some of them up there are a bit tiresome and boring. Don’t worry about those that you upset. I’ll make sure they’re mad at me instead of you.” Balan grinned at Agha.“I don’t think I’ll be great company, though. You won’t be able to hear me.” Agha’s shape tightened and rippled once again.“It’s ok. I can still talk to you, right? It’s not that big of a problem to me.”Agha was a bit hesitant but the shape seemed to reach out to Balan, who reached his own hand out to help pull him out of the bubble garden. Instead of taking Balan’s hand, he surrounded him with a large bubble that seemed to shine, even under water. Balan heard the voice around him but no longer saw the figure. “My power is within you now, young god. Please remember me from time to time!”Balan didn’t remember anything after Agha surrounded him until he was sitting on the tiled platform. Colel was desperately hugging him and everyone else seemed relieved to have him back. He hopped off the platform and wrung out his scarf and started to try to get water out of other parts of his clothes, but found it evaporated before he could try and wring it out himself.“How did it go? Did you meet the water spirit? Did he tell you anything special?” Colel was relieved Balan returned so quickly but was worried he wasn’t successful.“Calm down Colel.” Balan grabbed Colel’s arms to keep her from walking circles around him. “Agha is really lonely. He tries really hard to please everyone, but ended up just hurting himself. Which is a lot like someone else that I know.”Colel didn’t say anything about his insinuation, but still hugged him tightly.“I suppose we’re finished here. We still have the boat rented, so we can head out in the morning and visit Quiri. I anticipate that she received my notice.” Dias was already heading towards the small bridge that Magnar created.
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The group spent one last night in Dias’ house and left for the chancellor’s island shortly before the sunrise. Balan seemed to be soaking through his clothes, but he insisted he wasn’t sweating and it was likely his body adjusting to the powers that Agha had given him. The trip was unusually smooth and they arrived on the island in good time. Balan not only taken the lead in manning the boat but had hand in their smooth journey. Using his new power made Balan a lot more tired than he expected. He was starting to understand the downsides to his current situation.Dias was greeted at the docks by one of the guards and the group was led up the hill towards the estate. The guards were already familiar with Dias and it didn’t seem like there weren’t going to be any problems at all. Inside, they were lead to a large, open room that had a number of sofas and chairs for all of them to sit comfortably. After a little bit of waiting, the guard announced that Quiri was entering the room.Everyone stood to greet her and the guard didn’t even attempt to stop Dias from approaching her. Quiri’s face was mostly hidden by an elaborate, yet beautiful mask made of porcelin, but she seemed to give off a similar aura as Dias. There was little doubt they were actually related. She made herself comfortable and addressed Loke directly. She didn’t mind that the others were there, but she knew that Loke was the one that she needed to speak to.“Dias tells me that you’re all somehow wrapped up in a quest to stop all of the genocide to Biyeho. Have you any sort of concrete plan?”Loke sat upright and most of them may not have noticed, but Magnar and Dias could tell there was a lot more confidence in her tone. “My plan isn’t very detailed at the moment as we continue to encounter challenges, but I have a sense of where to go and what will need to be done upon our arrival. However, what is the most concerning is distinguishing friend from foe. My intentions are not to insult anyone, but, I will be direct, the Biyeho do not have a lot of allies, and I’m learning that there may not be that many Biyeho remaining.”“Your candor isn’t insulting in the least. In fact, honesty is a bit refreshing and not quite at all common in diplomatic discussions. I don’t know what Nich could even do to help you, as I’m sure you’re aware, we no longer have a significant population of Biyeho. I believe you visited the island where are last remaining ones in Nich are living.”Quiri’s smile unsettled Loke, but she refused to show it. “Yes, we had the privilege of spending time there thanks to Dias. But I also am familiar with a village of Biyeho that once lived in Nich and managed to relocate.”“Ah, yes, Seibal is what I assume you speak of. Seibal was the second to last village. They managed to survive much of the war but faced a lot of difficulty afterwards. There was and still is a lot of resentment towards the Biyeho and it was far simpler for them to find a new home than to endure. How are they faring?” Quiri crossed her leg over the other and relaxed into the sofa casually.Loke stiffened counter to Quiri relaxing. “They’ve relocated to Holom. They are hopefully finding their new home accommodating.”“I see. Then I will ask that you take care of them. They are my precious citizens, after all.”“I will do my best to guide and support their spirituality.” Loke’s blood ran a little colder. She hoped that Quiri was insinuating that she should help them as a priestess, not as the queen, but Quiri was as difficult to read as Dias.Votan and Balan were especially bored with the women's conversation while much of everything was starting to go above Blu's head. Cam wasn't paying much attention to the discussion and was wondering if she should even be in the room. Colel was trying to use it as a learning experience for having to interact with diplomats in her future as a princess. She wished Balan would take the same initiative but she already saw he had tuned out the discussion. Magnar sat through plenty of Loke's complicated discussions. He marveled at how easily she was able to switch roles and wondered if she returned to Holom as a queen, if she would sound like this all the time. He started to understand why she seemed reluctant. Dias noticed the various expressions of boredom or confusion and spoke softly with a guard to have everyone escorted someplace else while the women continued their conversation. Magnar volunteered to stay, as did Colel. The rest of them accepted the opportunity to do anything else and left Loke, Dias, Colel, and Magnar behind.Loke waited until the others left before continuing. "Could you tell me a bit about how things really are here, in Nich, in regards to Biyeho? If there is only the one village, what does everyone else in Nich say to that?"Quiri’s smile sharply turned into a frown. "If you're inquiring about mysterious disappearances that are happening in Tohil or the very public executions in Caax, it is nothing of that sort happening here. To be honest, there was a bit of an uprising by some Tumben extremists that they played on everyone's fears about Biyeho. Most of the citizens ended up doing this to each other and it wasn’t really an official military effort. Even within my own soldiers, they revolted against fellow soldiers just for being Biyeho. I almost feel blessed that I still have any sort of country to run. I lost a lot of wonderful citizens on both sides.""And it ended because the majority of the Biyeho were murdered?" Loke thought that outcome was the worst possible outcome and wondered why Quiri let it get so bad.Quiri held a hand up dismissively. "Unfortunately, that seemed to be the end result. Sure, there were a few little skirmishes here and there, but once the remaining Biyeho isolated themselves around the volcano or left Nich completely, there wasn't much else for the others to fight against and they gave up."Loke was trying to quell her anger, but it only seemed to be supported by grief. "Aren't you Biyeho? Didn't they come after you?""Only the people in this room know that. Obviously you three know because of Dias and my closest guardsmen are also Biyeho. As far as the general public knows, they don't know what I believe and since it’s not important to running a functional country, it isn’t their business. It's been safer that way. And I think they are also a little afraid of confronting me, but I have no doubt that my mask supports their fear."Loke stopped to think for a moment. She wasn't about to let everyone keep trying to kill each other until they felt like the other side was gone, it wouldn't be fair to any of the souls sacrificed to do nothing. She resented Quiri for letting that continue, despite the desire for self-preservation.Quiri noticed Loke thinking and tried to guess what she was pondering. "Look, if you want some advice on how to stop the needless killing, you need to figure out where the source of the poison is. It was too late when we sorted it out. You mentioned you may know that, so it is now time to find the antidote. You have a good looking group with you, including Tohil royalty, so you have a bit of power in the political arena as well. Also, because we understand what it is to be torn apart by war, we're quite willing to aid you in whatever way that we can, but I'm afraid I can’t offer you manpower or make any official declaration.""That is quite generous, Chancellor. I fully appreciate the support and I'm certain I will be contacting you if we are successful and need support to rebuild." Loke stood and bowed to Quiri out of respect."Great. Dias, I want to catch up with you. Loke, Princess Colel, Magnar, please join your friends and enjoy the island before you leave in the morning. We'll also take care to make sure you have adequate supplies."The three thanked Quiri for her time before being escorted to the others. Dias remained behind to talk to his sister and Loke hoped he wasn't going to speculate or overshare their experiences thus far. Quiri seemed trustworthy even though Loke was quite easy to trust anyone, but something about rulers always made her uneasy.Quiri made sure everyone was well taken care of and sent them back to the mainland with someone that could sail the boat for them. She also arranged for a night in a high end inn in Liyas and arranged for a caravan to get the group to the port.The caravan had only gotten a few hours out of Liyas when it stopped with a jolt. Magnar looked through the front curtain and told the driver to hide before he grabbed his scythe and jumped out the back of the caravan."Magnar, what's going on?" Cam wasn't about to let him go rushing into something dangerous without telling them what it was."Betti. He's standing in front of the caravan."As soon as Magnar said "Betti," everyone followed him out the back. Loke decided that if they couldn't deal with Betti now, they wouldn't stand a chance against Saal.Cam tried to hold everyone back for a moment. She knew Betti saw them come out, but at least they could go in with a strategy. "We can't go in without a plan, so we should utilize our strengths and cover for our weaknesses. Blu, Balan, you two are our best for distance and you're a bit stronger than before. Use all of that to your advantage. Flank him at a safe point and only attack when you see an opening or someone is in trouble." Blu and Balan ran in opposite directions, looking for a place to keep out of Betti's sights, but he was still coming ever closer to the group. "Dias, you're more of our midrange person. Stick with Loke and try to blind him from time to time to get Loke close enough to slow him down. Loke, you do your best to support us and stay alive. The rest of us will engage in close quarters and pace yourselves. He’s persistent and has enough stamina to break us down one by one if he has to.""Oh, this is fantastic! My prey is running towards me! I should welcome you with open arms!" Betti opened his arms, but as they came close, he swung his bag, aiming for Magnar and Cam.Cam used sheer strength to block the bag with her broadsword as Magnar supported her by pushing a wall of earth between the sword and the bag. Votan used the chance to slide under Betti's arm and managed to find his way into the bag.Even though Betti previously lamented the damage to his bag, he was anything but gentle with it. Inside the bag, Votan was feeling the worst motion sickness he'd ever felt. He struggled to see inside the bag but it felt like the contents were nothing but small boulders. He wormed his way towards the bottom of the bag, trying not to get crushed in the meantime. The material was tough and Votan’s dagger wasn't making any progress in cutting through the side to unload the heavy stones that were pushing against him every time Betti swung the bag. Finding the smaller stones and trying to position himself back near the top, he started to push the stones out of the top of the bag, one by one. It didn't seem that Betti was taking notice, but Loke and Dias noticed immediately."I was wondering what Votan was doing climbing into the bag. But I can’t see what he’s pushing out. Do you have any idea, Dias?" Loke’s vantage point was too far away, but she realized after Nono, that Dias didn’t actually need his glasses and his vision and accuracy had improved significantly."I think those are orestones. The metal inside is used for nearly everything and pieces those size are worth quite a bit. If that entire bag is full of them, Betti is carrying around quite a fortune, though being from Holom, I’m sure you know their value." Dias watched water seep out of the ground under Betti and Blu shooting directly at the puddle to stun Betti, but each time they did it, Betti took less time to recover."I'm not going to ask why he'd carry around something that valuable, but I think I found a good way to repay Magnar's fee." Loke moved further behind Dias and grabbed one of his scalpels and started drawing in the ground."What are you doing?" Dias tried to glance behind him but needed to keep his attention on Betti."Trying something a bit bigger than I've ever done before. When I’m done, use me as bait to get him over this way." Loke worked quickly, but was careful to make sure every line and curve was perfect.From opposite sides, Balan and Blu had gone from stunning Betti from the ground to a different way to injure Betti. Once Balan was able to land a wet arrow anywhere near Betti's hair, Blu was able to shoot a lightning bolt towards it. Not only did it cause a stronger shock, but it also was starting to frizz Betti's long blonde curls, much to his dismay. They weren't sure if it was making him angrier and more dangerous or if it was distracting enough for everyone to land significant blows.Colel was able to occasionally cause him to stumble by attacking him behind the knees and Cam and Magnar kept him distracted from the front. Dias was able to throw scalpels past Betti, but they carried enough light to cause temporary blindness as they slipped past his face, taking a few strands of hair each time, but Loke used herself as bait to drive him closer to the symbol she had drawn.When Betti suddenly stopped, everyone wasn't sure what happened, but Dias turned around and saw Loke with one of his scalpels and a large, elaborate symbol on the ground under Betti. "What did you do?""This will only last one more minute. Do everything you can!" Loke called out to everyone."I told you not to exhaust yourself too quickly!" Cam was trying to sound like she was yelling at Loke, but her timing seemed to be perfect as she was certain everyone was starting to run out of steam.Anyone with a blade slashed at the bag to release the stones and Balan soaked Betti while Blu mustered the largest bolt he could fire. Once Loke gave the final warning that time was up, it was just enough time for everyone to avoid Blu's lightning. Votan scrambled out of the bag in time and grabbed Colel, who was still on the edge of the puddle that had collected under Betti.Betti was unable to react before falling over, unconscious. Everyone was worn out and simply happy to be alive and relatively uninjured, aside a few bruises and scrapes. Dias went over to the pile of stones and found one that was about the size of a large melon. He handed it to Loke, who nearly dropped it because of the weight, but held it close."This should be worth about three times that mysterious number you had on that sheet a bit ago when reviewing our finances. I would say it would be ample to cover what you need to pay the fee."Loke looked down at the stone and walked over to Magnar with it. "So, it might be a bit early for this, but this is worth a lot. Consider this for your payment thus far?"Magnar took it out of her hands and was surprised she didn't drop it on her own foot. "You have no idea how much this is worth, do you?""Not exactly, but Dias said it was worth a lot." Loke was well aware of its value and knew it was a lot more than just three times that number."Let's just say someone could keep their country's economy happy for quite some time even in times of draught. This piece you gave me will be enough for everything. That is, if we still have it after all this is done." Magnar quickly realized what he said and chided himself. "Ah, damn. I should have told you it wasn't worth much and squeezed you for more cash.""Then I'm ever so grateful for your mistake." Loke went over to the pile and found one the size of an orange and threw it at him, making him drop the larger piece. She didn't even bother to see his reaction before going back to the caravan and making sure the driver was safe."What are these? Are they really worth a lot?" Votan found a few smaller pieces that he was trying to pocket."You wouldn't need to even think about stealing if you had even a few smaller pieces of this. It's raw orestone." Magnar barely finished when Votan ran off to try and collect more pieces."What should we do, Cam? Should we take some back to Tohil too?" Balan looked at the pile of stones and wondered how they could even carry that much with them."We should at least make it so that Betti won't be carrying them any longer, but I don't think we could possibly transport that much in the wagon." Cam thought a few pieces might be nice to send home to her brother.After a lot of discussion and arguing with each other about what to do with the orestone, it was decided that Dias would ride back to Liyas and hire another wagon. With both wagons loaded, they continued through the night to the port. The driver was worried about the Kiich, but Balan and Blu were able to keep them from attacking. In the port, Dias rented a small warehouse to store their spoils. He gave Loke one key to the warehouse, knowing she was too honest to squander its value for herself. Dias was able to persuade everyone else to let him keep the key because of his relationship to Quiri in the event someone attempted to steal the orestone. Magnar still kept his melon-sized piece wrapped in cloth and strapped to his back. Since they were going to Caax, he could at least secure his piece at home. To his surprise, Votan wasn’t asked to return the small pieces he already pocketed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Before leaving Liyas, Quiri gave Dias documentation that should grant the group safe passage into Caax. Quiri couldn’t guarantee that it would be helpful inside of Caax, but the current standing between Nich and Caax was neutral and those arriving from Nich seldom encountered issue. Dias took time to review the documents while on the ship and realized that through the formal language and superfluous usage of adverbs, they didn’t actually say anything at all.Boring ocean voyages was something the group had to accept, but few of them actually enjoyed. The one thing they didn’t seem to count on was Winter tagging along on their ocean voyage.“Is this what you did in all those other cities?” Blu hadn’t had a chance to talk to Winter one on one in a long time and they had plenty of time on the return to Caax.“Mostly. Even though Nich was still a little lively, it was repetitive. Unload the ship, Winter! Load these onto the caravan, Winter! It was the same thing every day. I hear things are still bad in Caax, but it still is home, after all. I decided that the kids there still need someone to hang out with sometimes.”“You’re going to go back to the orphanage?” Blu was surprised. When Winter left, she promised to go on to do grand things. Mostly she had been taking care of him after he left the orphanage, not really doing anything special. He wondered if that was why Winter introduced him to Loke and Magnar – so that she could finally see the world.Winter grinned, her endless well of cheerfulness shining through. “Yep! And now I have all sorts of stories to tell them! I’m going to embellish a lot, because what’s a good story without exaggeration, right?”Blu laughed. “I guess so. But I’ve also learned a lot on this trip so far. Sometimes the true stories are even more wild than the fake ones.”“Like that Betti guy that was chasing you guys in Nakbe? He’s pretty wild. No one would ever believe someone from the giant tribe still exists, let alone be an assassin.”Blu shuddered. “I can hardly believe it myself and I had the misfortune of having to fight him a few times.”“Say, do you think things in Caax will get better? I mean, everyone was pretty crazy in Teo when we split, it’s hard to think that they could return to being friends and neighbors if Palen rescinds his orders.” Despite the change to a heavier topic, Winter’s optimistic tone never wavered.“I’m not sure. It’s been a while since we were there, but we heard it got a lot worse. No matter what happens, I don’t think it will be easy.”Winter spotted Blu’s frown and jumped up from her seated position. “Ok, enough of the depressing stuff. Let’s go find that Balan guy. He looked like he was playing some fun games in the back with the sailors. I’m only hanging out with you guys until we reach the port, so let’s make the most of it!”Magnar wasn’t too excited to go back to Caax, but it was his home and he wanted to go back to a Caax where he didn’t have to worry about existing. Loke was heading to her usual spot to stare at the horizon and found Magnar in her place.“How are you adjusting?” Loke leaned on the rail beside him.Magnar didn’t need to look to know it was Loke. Her jewelry lightly jingled in the ocean breeze. “To going back to Caax? There’s not much to adjust to. It’s another dangerous place I need to escort you through.”Loke sighed. “No, I mean becoming a god.”“Oh, that.” It was the last thing on Magnar’s mind and he forgot Loke did say she was going to pester him about it. This time he thought she was a lot less enthusiastic about asking and almost sounded sympathetic. “I get tired a lot, but it isn’t as bad anymore. I think that incident in Tohil was the worst of it so far. But I also don’t know how much longer it will take. But I really should ask you how you’re adjusting. I also wanted to apologize. It was wrong of me to tell you, especially that way.”Loke wanted to force a smile to show she was okay, but her face wouldn’t change from the solemn expression that seem stuck in place. “I don’t really feel any different at all. And I can’t say it was an easy thing to come to terms with. I mean, I’ve been carrying this heavy book for what? The only thing inside is blank pages and my own notes? How have I never even noticed any of that? I’ve had that book since I was six and it never was empty, I just couldn’t read it. You even mentioned it a few times before and I dismissed it. I’m sure something happened in Kabra, looking back on it, but I guess I didn’t want to accept it.”“I still have a hard time believing Colel and Balan are already gods. I never really believed gods could be among us, but if they were, I think I imagined them as old village elder types. Definitely not teenagers.” Magnar paused as Loke chuckled, probably imagining a similar scenario. “I only talked to Colel a little about it, but she mentioned something about having to ignore voices. I don’t know what she meant, but I assume that’s something that will happen later.”“Voices? I wonder what that means. But, we have other things to worry about first. We can only hope either of us doesn’t end up having an episode in the middle of confronting Saal. We still have a lot to do and I feel like I’ve wasted so much of our time just traveling.”“Keep wasting time, it’s beneficial to my wallet.” Magnar grinned.Loke shoved him with her shoulder, not in the mood for a useless argument. Instead of leaving him alone with his thoughts, she got lost in her own looking over the rail beside him.Dias had previously given Votan advice on how to approach Colel with some moderate success and decided to try again while Balan was distracted. He found Colel chatting with Cam and cautiously approached her. He was visibly nervous and he crouched down in front of her. “I’m not here to bother you, I swear! I was wondering if you would be able to do a reading for me.”Colel stared at him briefly before pulling out a deck of cards. “What did you want to know about?”Votan fought the urge to ask about love, since Dias told him to not come on too strong as it was pushing her away. “Well, only saw this done a few times and I don’t know everything it can do. Can you tell me anything about the past?”“The past?” Colel was taken by surprise and paused mid shuffle. “That’s unusual, but I don’t see why I couldn’t try. I figured you would be interested in your love life or if you would come into riches or something like that.”“I’m pretty confident fate will take care of me. But I think it might be better to learn about what I might not remember.”“Well, at least someone is confident about the future. I hope it involves as little of me as possible.” Colel decided the cards she was shuffling weren’t the best option and swapped them for another deck.Votan stopped himself from declaring that the future he was confident in included nothing but her, but he fidgeted as he let her statement go unchallenged.“You sure you want to go through this?” Colel held the deck out to him to divide. “Take the top half and put it on the bottom.”Votan nodded and took the cards as instructed. “I want to know where I came from. I heard a story once about what might have been my parents, but I don’t know if it was a story about someone else or if it was actually true.”“Then, let’s focus on that.” Colel placed cards into three piles, three cards per pile laid out into a triangular pattern.Votan watched her with the cards and couldn’t resist asking about the process. “What are the triangles for?”“Each triangle represents something. In this case, one will be what you heard, one is what you know, the last one is what is true. What is it that you know to be true about yourself, Votan?”“What do I know? I don’t remember a lot. I remember an orphanage for a little bit, but that’s all fuzzy. The clearest thing I know is begging on the street and eventually having to take things just to survive. I know that no one seemed to reach out to any of us and the other homeless kids that were close to my age and older abused me. I found something sharp to fight with and got better at being a pickpocket. I did what I had to or I would have just starved to death in the gutter.” Votan tried once, but even though people would dump their bodily fluids over him and throw rocks at him, death never seemed to take him.Colel frowned. She thought he was an average thief and never realized that he experienced so much hardship. She knew he was barely older than her and he had been through so much more. Reflecting on her own pampered childhood, she felt like she had been treating him no better than the people he described. She flipped the cards over in the knowledge pile and pointed out each one. “This signifies your survival, this one shows loneliness, which both seem covered in your story. While this one usually depictive of education, you don’t seem to be formally educated, so I would assume it was what you learned along the way.”Votan scratched his face. “Actually, one of the guys that sold bread would take pity on me from time to time. He did teach me how to read, though I still struggle to write.”Cam had been watching and noticed Colel starting to lose focus. She suspected Colel was letting her feelings interfere with the reading and nudged her.Colel felt Cam’s elbow and understood instantly what it was for. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to refocus. “That might be what that card is for then. For the next pile, the rumors, what was it that you heard? About your past, I mean.”Tired of squatting, Votan sat crosslegged and stared at the cards, feeling somewhat ashamed to look at Colel after having told her about his past. “Uh, well, I heard in Nono I heard about a family that had a kid named Votan. The woman died her husband took their kid to Nakbe to try and support him, but he never returned to Nono.”“I see what you’re asking. Then let’s see the rumor cards.” Colel flipped the first card. “This card indicates difficulties which might lead to a struggle.”“They did say the family had a hard time having a baby.”“It could be that, or it could be the man’s troubles raising a baby without the mother. It’s not specific. But this card,” Colel flipped a second card, “shows overwhelming love. Not romance, but the unconditional kind. This last one shows loss, so loss of the mother, loss of the family, something. I do suspect the story could be true, in the fact that cards seem to match the story.”“Then, what’s the last pile?” Votan expected the rumor cards to be something unexpected, but not confirming the story he heard in Nono.“The last three cards show a relation towards them. In essence, the truth.” Colel noticed Votan looking forlorn and had barely looked at her. “Are you sure you want me to continue?”Votan nodded, still looking down at the artwork on the cards. “Yeah. It’s better to know and deal with it. Then maybe I can stop blaming something I don’t understand.”Colel thought that almost sounded too mature for Votan, but she flipped the three cards over without explanation. She rarely did this type of reading and forgot how vivid the imagery could be. She was transported to a bustling desert town she could only assume was Nakbe. She saw a man that looked like an older version of Votan trying to peddle some goods with a baby strapped to his back. He didn’t look like he was having much luck and she was suddenly transported to a rundown building where the baby was crying and the man was bleeding from what looked like a stab wound to his abdomen. The baby’s clothes had his name embroidered on them and they definitely read Votan. Colel was then transported to the orphanage closing the gate with several young children outside, crying to go back in. Votan didn’t seem to be one of the ones fighting to go back in, but he mostly sat off to the side looking indifferent. A few more times she was transported throughout the city and saw things that Votan described, but it was far worse than he made it sound. The other kids abused him terribly and even when he tried to fight back, he was never strong enough to win.Time barely passed as Colel experienced the vision as she was placing the third card on the ground. She felt a lot more sympathetic toward Votan and vowed to treat him with less distain as long as he wasn’t being overtly persistent.“So, what do those cards mean?” Votan looked at the cards and sheepishly looked up at Colel.“The truth is that you are child in that story that you were told. You were born to parents that loved you more than their own lives and wanted you to live on and become a good man.” Colel projected with their intentions, but she could sense that from how his father was clearly protecting him from whatever caused his own injury.“So, I wasn’t randomly abandoned. I guess that’s good to know. But I don’t know that I would have made either of them proud.” Votan knew his past was shameful and even if Colel did give him a chance, he’d only reflect that shame onto her.“You still can! You already made changes that should make them proud! You left Nakbe and you’ve stopped stealing, right?” Colel knew he stopped stealing at first to be able to tag along for free food and later to impress her. She didn’t care about his reasons, but the fact he was trying so hard should make any parent proud. Considering his past, she couldn’t help but smile a little, feeling a little proud of the strides he had made.Votan noticed Colel smile at him and blushed. She hadn’t been this nice to him before and couldn’t resist how pretty her smile was. “If I could find a way to live an honest life, I guess that could make them happy. Loke told me my name was really important for Biyeho, so I guess I shouldn’t insult them anymore with my sins.”“That’s the spirit!” Colel smile was unforced and brighter.Cam walked away before Colel finished her reading. She was relieved that Votan wasn’t harassing her, but still wanted to keep a careful eye on him. She didn’t mind if Votan used Colel as motivation to improve himself, but she did worry what he would do when Colel would have to eventually return home. She hoped he wouldn’t revert to his old habits. Dias had found an area where he was able to see everyone without having to move. He had been watching everyone from a distance and noticed the mood seemed heavier, but a lot steadier. He felt confident that they would all do well wherever their adventures took them. He still had his suspicions that Loke had another large secret, but it wasn’t important now if his suspicions were right. Even now Colel seemed to be speaking normally with Votan, which was quite an improvement from when Votan couldn’t even muster the courage to show his face to her. Blu was back to asking him questions, but they were much more informed and his medical knowledge increased significantly since he let him have his research journals. He also seemed to be able to have some fun with Balan, which was a great improvement from when Blu constantly avoided everyone. Even though Cam wasn’t with them as long, he wondered if she made similar observations.Security at the port in Caax was tight, but the documents from Quiri allowed them to sail through with ease. Without having to worry about funds, Loke paid for a wagon and two horses. She was tired of wasting time. Without a destination, it was decided to return to Magnar’s house to regroup. His house was near the intersection of the major road to Holom in the west, Teo in the south, and Yopa in the north. Loke hoped they weren’t missing anything in the east to be forced to backtrack, but without any clues, it was their best option. Magnar’s house had clearly been raided. He knew Palen was out to find something to arrest him for, but even after tossing everything about in the house and outer buildings, Magnar assured everyone that there was nothing for Palen to find.“They didn’t even spare the artwork on the walls.” Cam picked up a framed landscape from the floor and put it back on the wall.“That’s how desperate he’s been.” Magnar put a table upright that was upside down in the middle of the room and pushed it to the side. Folding back a decorative carpet, he lifted a section of the floor panels.Votan paused as he noticed Magnar lift the boards. “What’s down there?”“Nothing much. Just everything Palen’s been looking for.” Magnar hopped into the hole and set up the small ladder so he’d be able to get out. “My shrine is down here and some personal family items. And now it will be a hiding spot for my expensive rock.” He pushed the orestone behind the ladder for safekeeping and climbed out, dropping the ladder back into the hole and resetting the floorboards. “Palen is persistent. He’ll be back, without a doubt.”“You could say that again.” Loke came back in the house from dumping dirty water outside. “It looks like the next inspection is coming. We only have a few minutes before they get here. What excuse do we use now?”Magnar reset the carpet and stood straight, staring at the door. “None. Whether or not Cam is right about me being able to get through to him, I need to stand up to him.”“I hope I am right, but either way, I’m sure everyone here will support you.” Cam slapped a hand on his shoulder for support.Palen’s soldiers pounded on the door so hard Colel thought it was going to knock it off of its hinges. Magnar did his best to keep calm, but everyone knew he was nervous as the soldiers grabbed Magnar and pulled him outside. They had barely arrived and most of the house was still in a state of disarray.“Oh, you’re home today. Color me surprised.” Palen didn’t even bother getting off of his horse.Magnar shook off the soldiers and strode toward Palen on his horse. “With how many visits you make, I can’t help but wonder if you’re just playing coy and waiting for me to ask you out. Hate to tell you, but you’re really not my type.”Palen snorted and jumped off his horse to grab Magnar’s collar. “Such a despicable allegation! Do you need to be reminded who you are speaking to?”“Nope. I know exactly who you are. But you should also know that you’re embarrassing yourself in front of highly influential people, including royalty.” Magnar was feeling less nervous about Palen as his own words reminded him of the support he had watching from his porch.Palen let Magnar go. “I can’t even imagine what you’re talking about, but I should have my soldiers remove that smug look from your face.”“Go ahead, but I don’t think they’ll do all that well.” Magnar crossed his arms, knowing he was getting under Palen’s skin.“And you can tell the future now?”“I can’t, no. But the princess can. But if that isn’t convincing enough, I could change the landscape a little. Or maybe you’d like to experience extreme darkness in the middle of the day?”“Are you threatening me with Biyeho bullshit?” Palen had long waited for Magnar to slip up and give him something to arrest him for.“I see you forget your manners even when women were present.” Magnar glanced behind him and looked back at Palen. “But to use your own words, it’s not bullshit. I suppose that once you abandoned your gods, they’ve come to forsake you in return. Gods can be vengeful, you know.”“There are not multiple gods. Only one god is necessary and they are only vengeful to those that deny the truth.”Magnar sighed. “Look, we could talk in circles all day about our own personal beliefs. How about we forget about our guards and companions and settle this between just us?”Palen thought about it for a moment. “Fine. No interference and weapons either. You may be handy with those tools of yours but I was always able to outbox you.”“Deal.” Magnar knew Palen didn’t stand a chance if he used any of Trir’s power, though he still intended to win without using it. “What’s your wager?”“Fine, when I win, you will admit your heresy and become a proud display in the center square.” Palen smirked, his ultimate goal finally within reach.“My head on a pike? If that’s what it is you really want if you win, you can have it.”“I’m glad you’re so willing to sacrifice yourself. Not that you stand a chance against me, but what is it that you want?” Palen started to unfasten his cuffs.“You’ll stop all of this nonsense about Biyeho being evil and restore order by admitting that all those rumors about them are completely false.” Magnar doubted he would comply even if he did win.Palen burst into laughter. “Yes, sure. I will admit that everything was a rumor I started and that Biyeho are truly peaceful people and aren’t any threat to the Tumben practice. There is no reason they shouldn’t be able to live amongst everyone else!”Loke clenched her fists at Palen’s dismissal about the Biyeho. Even though she was confident in Magnar’s ability to win, she did worry that Palen wouldn’t fight fairly. Blu took notice of her apprehension and held her hand.Once the terms were set, Magnar and Palen stood opposite each other, naked from the waist up, in the center of Magnar’s front lawn. A pair of guards remained at alert while Loke and everyone else stood behind them.As punches missed and landed from both sides, the guards got excited and started to holler in support. Magnar’s support watched carefully, knowing he was holding back to let Palen keep some integrity.“When I suggested that he was the one that could knock some sense into Palen, I didn’t mean it literally.” Cam sighed, but from what she was able to ascertain, it was likely inevitable.Balan leaned in to whisper to Cam “I can land an arrow into his leg if you want me to.”Cam was quick to dismiss his offer. “Interfering would just insult his pride. There’s more behind this fight than just Palen’s persistence.”The fight lasted longer than anyone expected. Both men were bruised and bloody, though it was hard to see who was worse for wear. Frustrated, Palen started pushing Magnar towards his guards. One of the guards, worried that Palen was going to lose, pulled a short knife from his wrist and waited for Magnar to get closer so he could slash him. Votan noticed the knife and nudged Loke. She shifted behind the guard and placed her hand on his back to slow him down to a near stop.Votan wasted no time calling him out on it. “Shouldn’t it be a disqualification if someone chose to try and cheat?”When the guard was frozen in place with the knife in his hand, it distracted Palen long enough for Magnar to knock him back, causing Palen to stagger backward and fall.“So, you were going to have your guards help you? That’s explicitly against the rules you agreed to.” Magnar stood over him, breathing heavily, but clearly victorious.“What happened to him? What are you going to do to me?” Palen knew his defeat was imininet but was more nervous about what was happening around him.“Nothing you believe in. But it seems there was a goddess on my side.”Palen spat a tooth onto the ground. It was the second one Magnar knocked out of him in the past few years. “Gods never were among us. Those are all just fairy tales.”“I don’t know what made you lose sight of everything that was important to us out here, but as you are now, you’re a fool.”Magnar started to walk away from Palen when he pulled a knife out of his boot and jumped up to stab him with it. He managed to mostly dodge it, only getting grazed on the side, but he spun around and knocked Palen out cold.The guards rushed to Palen’s side and Dias ran to Magnar to begin healing the stab wound him with Blu running to the house for Dias’s first aid supplies.“Palen won’t keep up his end of the deal, will he Cam?” Loke dropped to her knees, feeling useless, but even more convinced Palen was a stupid ogre and terrible for Caax.Cam frowned. “I doubt it. The only witnesses are a band of Biyeho that he would have murdered on site and two guards that would say anything he wanted them to.”“I was afraid of that.” Loke hoped it would have only been that easy but knew in her heart that it wouldn’t have. She also was frustrated that Magnar got bruised up for nothing. Palen’s loss only meant that he was going to be more persistent.Once Palen regained consciousness, the guards helped him back onto his horse. “You may have defeated me today, but even you won’t be able to resist Saal. While I’m not going to admit anything publicly, I will call off the bounty for you, for now. I’ll be back, Magnar!”“Well, that’s better than nothing. Although, I knew we were wanted, I didn’t know he put a bounty out on me.” Having been patched up by Dias and Blu, he struggled to his feet and up to the swing on his porch.“We should hurry and find Viik. He mentioned Saal, so it might be as bad as I feared.” Loke knew she was going to be up all night trying to find any sort of clue that might guide her.As expected, Loke was up most of the night flipping through pages and looking at the maps of Caax that Magnar let her borrow. His finished maps were stunningly beautiful and intricately detailed. Though they were helpful in some aspects, none of them gave her any idea of where she could find a whimsical wind spirit. She was starting to feel like she should give up and just head to Zipan for Colel and hope that Votan wouldn’t be mad at her for it when Votan came into the room.“Loke, can I ask you something?”Loke jumped, startled by his voice. His steps were always silent and she didn’t expect anyone to interrupt her in the attic room. “You actually want to talk to me? Voluntarily?” She knew he wasn’t her biggest champion, but he had been patient and tolerant since he tagged along. It didn’t bother her as long as he didn’t cause problems and supported everyone else.“Yeah. I had Colel check her cards about my past and I think that story they talked about in Nono really was about me. You mentioned my parents would have been really devout and my dad did the best he could on his own. I think I want to learn a bit more about what they had so much faith in and do something that might make them proud.” Votan refused to look at her stared at the flickering lantern beside her.Loke was stunned, but flattered. “That’s quite the statement. I won’t probe for details since I’m not Dias, but I can try to answer any questions you have.”“I asked Dias about it before, so he told me the basics, but you’re supposed to be a goddess of knowledge, right? Not to mention Magnar, Balen, and even Colel. What does that even mean?”Loke kept Votan engaged for most of the night trying to explain the system between gods, spirits, and human bodies and a bit more into the details of ceremonies and rituals and why some were grandiose and others simple like the one that Rehu had asked for. She had to repeat things a number of times since Votan struggled to grasp some of the concepts, but Loke found him surprisingly attentive and she was a lot more patient with him than Votan expected. Neither had realized the sun was up until Blu knocked on the ceiling to let Loke know breakfast was ready.Despite feeling satisfied with the night she spent lecturing Votan, she was disappointed she hadn’t figured out where they needed to go.“Were you both up all night?” Blu asked as they both came down the attic steps.“We were. And sadly, I don’t think I’m any closer to figuring out where we can find the wind spirit.” Loke stretched and let out a yawn.Votan made a slightly dejected face knowing it was his fault she didn’t make any progress. Blu suddenly had an idea. “Ah! I wonder if it could be in the area that was off limits.”“What was off limits?” Loke was suddenly intrigued, suddenly feeling like she could stay awake.“It was in the orphanage. We went through the tunnels when we met, right? Well, there was a passageway that we were always forbidden to play in. There were a lot of boards nailed to the door and we were forbidden from even going down that hallway. The other kids always said that they heard voices behind the door and we would be sent there if we were bad. I didn’t really believe them about being bad kids, but maybe that was because it was an important place.”“That’s the best lead I’ve had all day!” Loke ruffled Blu’s hair. “Unfortunately that’s back in Teo. I didn’t want to go back to the city, especially after yesterday.”“That’s ok. Winter should be back in the city. If we need anything, we can always ask her for it. I can get us in the secret entrance without having to go into town, so it shouldn’t be too bad.”“The temple is in the orphanage?” Votan was trying to understand their conversation but the few memories about an orphanage he had weren’t fond ones and he couldn’t imagine an orphanage being able to house a temple like the ones they had already been to.“It is worth looking into, at least. I think Magnar roughly mapped out our way from before, so it should be… yes, here it is.” Loke pulled out a smaller map that was only roughly sketched in pencil.Blu looked it over and added a few more lines and marked where the door should have been.“I said you could look at my maps, not desecrate them.” Magnar didn’t appreciate anyone writing on his maps. His face was swollen and bruised and he was slow to approach the trio in the hall.“I was just adding to the entrance to the underground area to the orphanage. I didn’t mean to ruin it.” Blu apologized and gave it back to Loke.“It’s honestly the only place we’ve thought of that might have Viik or at least a clue.” Loke added, though she wasn’t sure she was being heard.“You’re both lucky that was an unfinished map.” Magnar didn’t acknowledge Loke’s comment and shuffled past them to rest on the porch.“You don’t think he’ll stay behind now that he’s home?” Blu was worried. He’d seemed upset but not in a way that Blu was used to seeing.Loke looked out the window to see Magnar was slow to sit. “I’m sure he would love to stay here, but I think he’ll still come with us. I think he looks forward to being able to sit there without any sort of major worries, so until he’s confident that will happen, he’ll probably endure it a little longer.”“I think we’d all like to rest without any worries.” Blu didn’t realize he said his thoughts aloud until Loke was replying to him.“Yes, Blu, I’m inclined to agree with that.” Being able to relax without worry was currently untenable, but something Loke wanted for everyone else. She knew her freedom was already at an end regardless of the outcome, she felt prepared to accept her reality.Not wasting the horses and wagon, the trip to Teo was much faster than before. With it secured outside the watchful eyes of the Teo guards, Blu led everyone to the entrance and into the dark corridors. It wasn’t a problem for Cam to see, but Dias gave off enough light for everyone to see the path in front of them. Reaching the boarded doorway, Votan and Palen pulled most of the boards away. Before they reached for the door, a strong gust flung it open and nearly knocked everyone over before it stopped as swiftly as it started. Since Votan was the reason they were here, he was the first to enter the room. It was dark, but it didn’t feel any different than the other temples. Dias filled the room with light to allow everyone to look around. There weren’t any murals on the walls, only more boards and blank panels. There also wasn’t a platform or any other furniture, but Loke had the sense that this was once the inner chamber of a temple and the platform had been removed over time."What's up with this room? There's nothing in it, why would they even bother to lock it up?" Votan was a disappointed. He hoped that he would have been able to acquire a power like everyone else had, but he wondered if it was because he was only now starting understand about the gods and spirits and he hadn’t believed in them in earnest until recently.Loke was focusing on the panels on the walls and thought something didn't quite feel right with them. "Dias, can you stop the light?"Dias didn't understand why she would want the room dark, but he let the return to darkness."Just as I thought." Loke spoke mostly to herself but went over to one of the walls and started to pull on the boards.Cam was the only one able to see well helped her. They managed to pull one of the panels away to reveal a bright, glowing design on the stone wall."Whoa, what's all that?" Votan was feeling more optimistic about the situation."Dias, light please. We need to pull off these panels." Loke was already struggling to tug at the one to the right while Cam easily removed one on the left side of the one they already removed.Dias gave them enough light to see and everyone set to pulling the boards off of the walls. It didn't look like anything except stone underneath when the light was bright, but they already saw what it looked like in the dark. Most of the boards came off easily and by the time they finished, Dias let the room get dark once again."I don't know what it is, but it's really amazing! How did they make it glow like this?" Colel was amazed."Quite. I would have expected this with either Lusaa or Oskuab. Blu, do you see anything in it?" Loke was also impressed with the technique."I think so. It seems to show a lot of different environments. There are mountains and seas and grasses. There's one figure that seems to be going between each part, but in each of those areas there are sad people. I wonder why they're sad.""Because the without the wind, everything in those places will cease to be productive. We rely on the wind to pollinate our fields and bring about crops and flowers. We relied on it when we used the boats. But if there is too much of it, disaster can follow. It is the same with rain. Too much rain isn’t good, but without enough of it, we have a growing season like we had this year." Magnar already understood the usefulness of all elements when running a farm."It's everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time." Loke hoped they were able to answer Blu's question."So then, this is the wind temple place?" Votan's disappointment had completely vanished.Loke stared at the wall. "At one point, yes. However, there is no ritual platform and the preparation platform is also no longer here. And, to be honest, I'm not sure how to pin Viik down.""What about that element cycle you told me about when Balan disappeared into the water?" Colel wasn't sure why she thought of it now, but it stuck in her mind."Loke's eyes widened. "That's exactly it. Wind is weak to earth and strong to water. I have a feeling that gust was Viik bursting out, but we need to lure him back in and trap him here. That might be why everything was lined with wooden boards.""So, how do we lure it back?" Votan was willing to do anything.Loke thought for a moment. "Viik is whimsical. Balan, you're the god of activity and our most impulsive, what would pull you in on an impulse?"Balan wasn’t expecting to be important to the conversation and had barely been paying attention. "Me? A game I could win at, I suppose. I mean, I don't usually care as long as I can play, but winning makes it extra fun.""I wonder if we could draw him in with a challenge. Water is weak to wind, so he might take you up on it, but how to get his attention..." Loke stared at the dark wall, wondering what could entice him to come back."There's another thing that might get him to come back.” Cam interjected. “One of our war tactics was to destroy something of importance that would draw attention and bring the enemy together. Then we would ambush them. It’s not a graceful method, but it was effective.”Loke crossed her arms and weighed their options. "That's a fairly good idea. And especially if it is Balan utilizing Agha, he might think he's strong enough to win.""What am I doing?" Balan wasn't sure what he was supposed to do exactly, but somehow it sounded like had to ruin this place with water."Wet the walls. Try not to destroy the mural too much, though. I’d hate to be responsible for destroying something so important. Once he returns, Magnar, if you could seal the room. Do you think you can do that?" Loke was worried for Magnar’s physical condition already and felt some regret for having to ask him to do this."I'll do what I can. I won’t promise complete success." Magnar wasn't sure of the extent of what he could do, but as long as it didn’t involve him having to fight anyone or anything, it shouldn’t affect his body too much.Balan started along the edge of the wall where the paint had tapered out and started to soak it with water enriched arrows. Water flowed out of each arrowhead and dripped down the stone wall. It didn't take long for a strong gust to blow into the room and Magnar was only able to seal the door before a whirlwind developed and started to travel around the room."Of course, the room is stone. Blocking the door blocked his exit." Magnar mumbled to himself and struggled to his feet.The small tornado realized Balan was the one at fault for the water and turned sharply toward him. Votan jumped between the tornado and Balan, engulfing him. From the outside, the tornado spun in place but Votan was nowhere to be seen.Inside the tornado, everything felt calm. Votan could see everything around him, but as a still image. "This is a bit weird...""Boy, why have you interfered? I wish to destroy the vandal.""Huh? Oh, I can't really say why, but I thought that if you hit Balan, he would get hurt. If Balan got hurt, Colel would be upset. Since I really like Colel, I don’t want her to feel sad.” Votan saw that her image looked nervous for Balan.The voice was boisterous and loud as it laughed. "Are you even aware of what is going on around you right now?"Votan gave the room another once over. "Well, something seems a bit off since no one is moving but I can. I thought I got hit with that tornado, so I must be somewhere between life and death.""That's not an exaggeration, but while it is something like that, it isn't quite that simple." The voice seemed amused with Votan."So, then you're Viik? Is this really the wind place?""Wind place? This was once the home of the glorious altar to me, the wind spirit." Viik knew he should be insulted but instead found himself intrigued.Votan shrugged. "Well, it doesn't look like anyone took good care of it. I mean, there's no altar or anything. Even Loke said this was a likely once a prep area and it's pretty empty.""It is quite tragic that such a revered place has come into ruin,” Viik lamented. “but I like you, kid. You might not know what you're doing, and I like that about you. It reminds me of me! Just going from place to place, free and ready to float where your desires carry you. So I'll tag along with you for a bit. Feel free to call on me in as you need to.""Whoa, are you serious?" Votan expected it to be much harder to make a contract with a spirit."Sure am, kid! Oh, and when I let you go, tell that guardian priestess that she should let herself fall when she’s on that island up north.""Will she know what that means?" Votan thought it was a strange message, but he’d relay it anyway since it might be important."Maybe? I don't even know what it means, since it’s just a messenge from someone else. But who sent it is a big secret. You ready to go back, kid?""Sure. Thanks Viik. You're pretty awesome."The tornado tapered off and Votan dropped to the floor with a thud.Balan was the first to reach Votan. "Hey, Votan, you alright? You totally blocked that tornado from hitting me."Votan pulled himself up and dusted his pants. "Yeah, I'm good. I got to chat with Viik. I like him. But he wanted me to tell the guardian priestess something. That's Loke, right?"Loke nodded. "Rehu called me the same thing, but it's alright. What was the message?""Something about the island up north and to let yourself fall. It didn't make sense to either of us. He said he was just the messenger.""The island up north could be Yopa, but why would I need to fall?" Loke put her hand on her chin in thought."We fell before we ended up finding Seibal." Blu was trying to be helpful."I don't know if that is the same kind of falling, but I guess we'll figure it out when we get there. I also wonder who that message was from, if it wasn't originally from Viik himself." Loke wanted to push through Yopa as fast as possible, but now she was worried they would need to take another detour."We won't know until we go up there. It's probably getting pretty late, we should head out. I don't want to linger in Teo, even if Palen took me off of the wanted list, the rest of you are risk." Magnar doubted Palen revoked his bounty."I agree. The longer we stay near this city, the more dangerous it becomes for us." Dias was already waiting beside the doorway Magnar closed.After Magnar opened the door, they ran toward the exit, only to find that someone had sealed it to trap them inside."I don't think it would be worth it to try the other exit inside the orphanage." Blu looked down the dark corridor.Magnar chuckled. "They obviously haven't done enough research about us, either. I can get us through this, but everyone else should be prepared for what we might find on the other side."Everyone took an offensive stance and waited for the boulders to break down into tiny bits and dust. Outside, the stars were shining brightly, but nobody was waiting for them."Blu, you mentioned there was another exit?" Cam asked."Yeah. It leads up to the orphanage. Why?"Cam smiled. "They were hoping we were going to use it and ambush us there. Look, you can see a few torches inside that building.""Then let's take advantage of their misstep and make a swift exit." Dias was already ahead of the others toward where they left the wagon and horse, hoping they were still there.Having not found the horses a bit away from the orphanage was an oversight by Palen’s men, but a lucky turn of events for the group. Dias and Magnar again drove and navigated while the remainder rested in the back.Magnar was trying to break up the boredom while they raced toward Yopa. “Dias, you seem to know a bit more about the details of Biyeho ceremonial ceremonies than I do, what’s up with her whole purification process thing? I’ve been wondering about that for a while.”“I can’t say that I know much about the specifics, but I would assume a priestess of her level would need to keep things as clean and pure for the gods. On our end, she had us wear scant clothing to allow us to be closer to the gods, but how we are dress and prepare isn’t as thorough as her preparation. I don’t know how or what she specifically prepares for. Why the sudden question?” Dias had them riding at a steady pace and hoped they would reach Yopa by morning.“Curiosity. She’s only had to go all out a few times, and mostly just for us and that one time in Kabra to appease Bixun, but not for Cam, Blu, Balan, or Votan’s spirits.”A light glow surrounded Dias as they lost the light from the moon into a grove of trees. “I would imagine a difference that separates us from them is that ours were also tied to the gods. I earned the power of a god and a spirit and you started the process of becoming a god. Though, that is just speculation. You were in the temples with her, didn’t you see anything?”“Nothing. I was always sent to wait outside and after she started her preparations, she couldn’t talk or be touched until the ceremony was over.”“Well, there is one way to find out.” Dias smirked.“I’d rather not.”“Nonsense. But if questioning the purity of the priestess concerns you, I’ll gladly ask on your behalf.”Magnar frowned. “Don’t twist this into something it isn’t, Dias.”Dias chuckled and turned and called into the wagon for Loke. She tripped over a few stray legs of her sleeping companions and made it to the front of the wagon. “Is everything alright?”“We’ll probably approach the bridge to Yopa before morning, but I’ve been reflecting on some past events of this journey and was wondering about the process you go through before the grand ceremonies you perform.” Dias inquired.Loke’s eyes sparkled. She loved when people took an interest in the smaller details of her practice. “Sure, what about them?”“Well, what is the purpose of the isolation? And the blood ” Dias kept his eyes forward but he could feel Magnar’s glare burrowing into him.“Mostly to win the favor of the gods, I suppose. I have to systematically cleanse my mind and body and leave it open to receive any commands or to make sure what I am giving is received graciously. Not all priests and priestesses isolate to the extent I do, but I don’t want to risk losing my focus. The blood is to draw attention to myself as the one presenting the offering. I’m not terribly fond of that part, but usually I would get it from the butcher, despite what those that don’t understand may suggest. Anything else?”“The manner of dress is an interesting choice as well. I didn’t question it before, though I am curious about it.”“Oh, well, that mostly goes back to the beginning of Biyeho practice. That was what was decided for ceremonial dress. It keeps things light and simple to reduce interference and, if I understand properly, wasn’t actually very different than the clothing everyone wore. Essentially, it’s meant to be as simple and clean as possible to attract the attention of the gods.” Loke hated the clothing as she knew Magnar did and wondered if Dias also disliked them as well.“Thank you for that explanation. One more question. Are there any particular restrictions on your daily life as a high priestess?” asked Dias.Loke thought for a moment. “No, not really. Like the regular priests and priestesses, we’re leaders in our religious community. Once elevated, our community is just bigger. My responsibility is for all of Holom.” She paused, wondering if any of the current priests in Holom would even be prepared to replace the vacancies throughout Itzam. “In a way, it’s our job. Our assignments are just a little more complicated. That’s all. How I live my personal life is up to me. Until now, it’s been me and my research.”Dias hummed. “I see.”“I haven’t figured out what Viik was trying to tell me, but I think I’m going to sleep for a bit. Are you two alright to stay awake?” Loke had been fighting back a yawn.“We’ll be alright. We’ll rest once we’re inside Yopa.”Loke nodded and ducked back into the wagon.Dias smirked at Magnar. “It looks like I wasn’t completely wrong. A lot of things with the Biyeho work on a logical scale. You shouldn’t worry about asking her about details, she’s rather oblivious to any subtext.”Magnar crossed his arms and leaned back. “There wasn’t any subtext, Dias.”“Of course not.” Whether or not he believed Magnar wasn’t much of the point. He was quite fond of giving people a push in any particular direction to see how they would react. So far, he was having the most fun with Votan.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The documentation from Quiri granted the group easy entry into Yopa. Shortly after they crossed the Great Southern Bridge, the wagon came to a rest in a clearing off of the main road. The forest around them was dense enough to provide their wagon cover, but too dense to travel away from current roads. Because Yopa was considered hostile, everyone stayed near the wagon and kept conversations short and quiet. They didn’t want to risk being attacked by soldiers and hoped they could pass through without incident. Loke was still plagued by the message from Viik. Despite having only slept a few hours in the past two days, she struggled to rest and flipped through the pages in her book. As long as she pushed aside the thought that the text was generating from her own knowledge, she found it easy to research. However, when the thought crossed her mind, it distracted her and the passages on the page changed to an unrelated topic.Staying away from the larger roads and villages as much as possible, the group traveled as much as they could without working the horses too hard. Suspecting they might be a few days from reaching Zipan, they decided to rest longer than they had before. Once they crossed the Great Northern Bridge, it would begin the most difficult part of their journey.Colel dropped next to Loke, who was flipping through pages while sitting on a log next to the fire. “What are you looking for?”“Nothing in particular. I still don’t know what Viik meant by telling me to let myself fall.” Loke knew she should have been focusing on how to approach Saal, but it was constantly invading all of her thoughts. She wished Viik hadn’t given Votan that message and just let her fate play out without being a distraction.“Well, falling has a few different meanings, I guess. You could fall on the ground, into a pit, out of a tree, fall behind, fall in love. It could mean of those things.” Colel was trying to be helpful, but she assumed Loke had already considered most of them. “Or fall into despair.” Loke sighed. “I can’t find any indication of anything important in Yopa. Historically, it seemed mostly like a transitional place that not a lot of people would visit. And who was Viik relaying a message from in the first place?”Colel admired Loke when she was acting confidently. Since Loke was worrying, Colel projected her own concerns forward. “Maybe it was to fall back and let things happen as they happen? If you’re destined to find this place, it’ll happen, right? Hopefully it’s not to fall into one of Saal’s traps.”Loke closed her book. “You’re right. I’ll go back to trying to figure out how we can stop Saal. I have to stop dwelling on something that has far too many potential definitions and no explanation of what to expect.”“I hate to break up the party, but I think someone’s heading this way. It sounds like a lot of people too.” Cam returned to the camp from scouting the nearby area with Balan in tow.“Cam’s night vision is pretty awesome, but there were definitely people coming. I climbed up and could see enough movement to support that. There was no way that was an animal.” Balan added.“Sounds like we’re not going to rest the whole night. Everyone in, we’ll do our best to outrun them.” Dias was already reattaching the horses to the wagon.Once everyone was on board, Dias got the horses moving as Cam spotted the first group of soldiers break through border of their camp. They rode hard and fast as well as they could, avoiding the thicker part of the forest. Once Dias felt that they had outrun their pursuers, he slowed the horses to a steady pace, but kept pushing forward.“It looks like there’s a clearing just past those trees. Once we pass them, I’ll push hard for a while. Magnar, have everyone hold on tight.” Dias took the horses off the road toward the clearing and increased their speed.Magnar started to turn to let inform the passengers when he noticed it wasn’t actually a clearing. “Dias! Turn now! It’s a cliff!”Dias pulled the reigns to steer the horses left and to a stop and narrowly missed running them over the side. The wagon jostled and everyone inside held on to anything they could grab. The wagon bounced as it tried to steady and rolled over a rock, tilting it enough to roll it onto the side. The top of the wagon hung over the cliff, though the wheels and body were steadily on land. Dias fell on top of Magnar from the front and inside, everyone else ended up in a heap, tangled amongst the equipment and each other – except for Loke. Loke bounced off of Cam’s armor and onto the fabric canopy with enough force to tear through the surface. Desperate, Loke clawed at the canvas, trying to pull herself back into the wagon but the fabric continued to tear as her body leaned against it. Reorienting herself, Cam noticed Loke struggling and reached out a hand, but she was stuck under someone else and couldn’t pull herself any closer. Loke never saw Cam’s hand in the dark to reach for it but as she started to slip, Viik’s message returned to her and she stopped struggling and slipped out of the wagon and over the cliff into darkness.Cam cried out for Loke but was met with silence. She pulled herself out from under everyone and ran to the side of the cliff. Dias and Magnar had righted themselves and joined her, looking down into the dark void.While Dias helped everyone out of the wagon, Magnar sat to the side with Cam who stared into the darkness, crying. “I tried to grab her, but she just let go. I looked over the side and it was so far down. I only saw tree tops. Magnar, I’m so sorry.”Colel was holding her arm as came over to Cam to give her a hug from behind. “It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault.”“No, it’s mine. It was my job to keep her safe.” Magnar punched the ground, leaving an indentation, before getting up and pulling supplies out of the wagon.Dias was making sure no one had any serious injuries, which luckily he was only finding cuts and bruises, no actual broken bones. He saw Magnar packed light, but he had his maps, scythe, and Loke’s book strapped to his back. “Where are you going?”“I’m going to find her. It was my job to keep her safe, and at the very least, I owe it to her to bring her body back.” Magnar hoped he’d bring her back alive, as she had been remarkably lucky the entire time he knew her. He wasn’t sure she would be lucky enough for a fall that far.Dias frowned. “We all owe her that. Don’t be rash. We’ll find a way down to look for her.”“You can all take your time getting down there. I’m going to find her while she’s at least in one piece. She had the compassion to do that much for others, I can do that for her in return.” Magnar was already looking over the edge trying to guess how far down it might be.Dias didn’t know what he was talking about, but Blu remembered when they met in Teo. “Let him go Dias. Magnar, we’ll meet you down there. Make sure you find her.” Blu was trying his hardest to not burst into tears. He thought of her as an older sister and a mentor. He refused to believe she wouldn’t come back with Magnar to tell him about something she found exciting.Magnar secured a rope to the closest tree he could find to the edge and climbed down as far as he could. It was dark and while he couldn’t see in the night like Cam, he could feel the earth under his hands. The cliff felt like it went on forever, but he also had a sense that the world was leaving him a path to follow.When Loke let go of the wagon, she entrusted her fate to whoever sent the message. She didn’t know if this was the fall that was foretold; she had to believe that it was. She felt the branches and leaves brush over her, scraping her skin on her way as she fell through them. Instead of hitting the ground with a life ending thud, she plunged deep into water and eventually drifted back to the surface. Breaking through the water, she coughed out water and felt the sting on her back where she hit the surface. Every cut and scrape she received on the way down stung and burned as she tried to reach the edge of the water.Struggling through tears of pain, Loke limped out into the mud. Somewhere she lost a shoe and her leg was covered in blood, but she needed to find a way to reach everyone else to let them know she survived.When she reached what she thought was the cliff wall, she realized it wasn’t the stone of a cliff, but the stone of a structure built into the cliff. A few steps to her left, she noticed an open doorway and forced herself to head inside. She could barely walk and climbing a cliff was out of the question. She hoped she wouldn’t encounter any bears or anything else dangerous, since she would have hated to survive that fall only to become another animal’s dinner. By the time she found the inner chamber, she came to understand that she found a temple, but passed out on the stone floor in the doorway.Magnar reached the end of his rope, but was still only near the tree tops. He called down several times for Loke, hoping to hear her voice, but heard nothing – not even the sound of nocturnal bugs or birds. As he leaned against the cliff, he created hand and footholds to finish climbing to the bottom. He resisted using the power he was given, afraid to abuse it, but in this situation, he wasn’t going to waste the gift.When Magnar reached the bottom of the cliff, he made a torch and started to look where Loke may have fallen. Nothing seemed disturbed where he was but he heard something fall through the trees with a splash as it hit the ground. He ran toward it and found Loke’s boot floating near the shallow end of a pond. Wading into the pond, he picked up her boot and noticed a trail of blood and footprints in the mud beside the pond that headed toward the cliff. He ran along the trail and into the temple entrance where the blood trail continued, even after the muddy footprints stopped.Reaching the inner chamber, Magnar found an unconscious priestess just inside the door. He regretted not bringing first aid, as he didn’t expect to find her alive. He knew she’d berate him later, but he tore a piece from the bottom of her cloak to tie around her leg to try and stop the bleeding. Since he knew he would already endure her wrath, he took most of her wet clothes off and put her in some of his dry clothes to keep her warm. Desperate to keep her alive, he ran out to collect more wood to make a lasting fire to dry her clothes and keep both of them warm. He was amazed she survived the fall, but worried she wouldn’t survive her injuries.When Loke woke up, Magnar was half naked and sleeping against the wall and the fire he built was down to embers. She saw her leg was roughly bandaged with what she thought might have been her cloak. She noticed most of her clothes hanging off the preparation platform and confirmed the bandage was as she suspected. Looking down, she also noticed that she was wearing the clothes Magnar was missing. She also realized he hadn’t completely stripped her down and was relieved he finally gave her some decency, though at this point she wondered if it even mattered.Loke limped around the room and to the door but didn’t see any sign of anyone else. She decided that once he woke up, she would ask him where they were and what happened. She turned to go back into the room and realized why Viik sent the message through Votan for her. This chamber was just like the one in Kabra. What Loke couldn’t understand was why it wasn’t mentioned in any document when she tried to find it. The shelves didn’t contain as many books as the one in Kabra held, but it was still glorious all the same. As in the temple in Kabra, she found a pedestal with a scroll draped over it that seemed to be illuminated and approached it.Magnar woke up as she was reaching the pedestal. He called out to her, but she was engulfed in the light from the scroll as soon as she touched it. A bright light flashed through the room and it returned to the empty stone room as before. Loke dropped to her knees and sweat dripped from her forehead onto the ground.Magnar rushed over and crouched beside her. “What just happened? You alright? We should get you out of here and to the others. Dias needs to take care of your leg.”“I understand all of it.” Loke was gasping for breath and her eyes were opened wide, but she was unusually calm. She rolled to the side to sit properly and started to laugh. “I get it. I know why Viik sent me here. I know what my role is.”“Here we go again. Loke, you’re a bit out of sorts. You had a nasty fall and some supernatural happenings. Let’s get you back over there and I’ll get the fire going again. There are still some burning embers.” Magnar picked her up to carry her across the room. He was surprised she didn’t fight him, but she didn’t seem that she was going to stop laughing anytime soon. He got her seated next to what was left of the fire and ran out to get more wood to burn. He came back to find her already asleep and he wondered if it was going to be another few days of mood swings, fevers, and general frustration. The major difference was that no one knew they were here and they had little to no food or clean water.Loke slept for a day and a half before finding herself on a makeshift bed of leaves and covered with what was left of her cloak. She’d been put back into her own clothes and Magnar wasn’t anywhere to be found. The cut on her leg still hurt enough to make her limp, but she still made it half way down the hall before she saw him coming back.“You should have stayed by the fire. Are you feeling alright? You slept for two days.” Magnar was relieved to see her awake. He had been trying to find the others while she slept but hadn’t had any luck.“I guess. My head hurts a bit, but my leg hurts a lot more than that. I’m hungry.” Loke followed him back into the chamber.“Well, you probably got a lot more information shoved into that brain of yours and since I’m not Dias or Blu, so there wasn’t much I could do about your leg. We just need to hope they can find us soon. Unfortunately there’s not much for either of us to eat, but there’s half a fish from last night I saved for you.” Magnar knew the entire fish wouldn’t have been enough for her, as the half he ate was barely enough to stop his hunger.Loke made a disgusted face about left over fish, but she wasn’t in a position to complain about it. “Magnar, what happened? I don’t remember anything after the wagon flipped.”“You fell through the top of the wagon. The canvas gave way and you ended up going over the side of the cliff. I got a lot of noise from Dias about leaving, but I came to find you. At least, I came to find your body because no one expected you to survive.” Magnar propped the fish over the fire to warm it. He knew it wouldn’t be good, but warm was still better than cold.“Was everyone else alright? No one hurt?”Magnar shrugged. “Dias was making sure everyone was physically ok, but I think Cam was blaming herself that you fell and Blu also looked like he wasn’t handling it very well. He was the one that told me to wait down here until they found a way down.”Loke wondered why he wouldn’t have come with everyone else. “So, if I wasn’t alive, what were you planning to do with my body?”“I would have taken it back to Holom. Obviously without proof, they wouldn’t believe their queen was dead, but also it’s the only place I know of to find a priest to send your soul off properly.”Loke smiled a little bit. “I guess I should thank you for that. But while I understand so much more now, I still don’t understand these places. I’ve not encountered any spirit here or in Kabra. I don’t know who told Viik that message either. But what I was able to learn was a more contemporary history. I know that is definitely Saal and what she’s up to. It seems that most of my suspicions were right, after all.” After Magnar took off down the cliff, Dias made sure everyone’s injuries were taken care of. Those that were righted the wagon and moved it away from the cliff and into the forest. The group checked for any available route down the cliff, but there was nothing but straight rock. Since Blu told Magnar to wait for them to catch up, they hoped that he found Loke and was waiting somewhere safe.“Dias, it’s been almost two days, we should just climb down. You’re exhausting yourself taking care of us, which we appreciate, but every path we’ve looked into took us further from where we need to go.” Cam was feeling fit enough to make the journey herself, but was partially afraid of what she might find at the bottom.“Cam’s right, Dias. We can’t leave Magnar behind and would he even be able to do the ritual himself? I would hate to see her soul wander aimlessly if it was done wrong.” Colel’s arm had come a long way, and climbing might not be good for it, but she didn’t care. Her concern was for everyone else.Balan was leaning on a tree, but sat more upright when Colel spoke. “I agree with them, too. We’re a bit banged up, but once we get down there, we can rest all we want. It’s safe from those guys chasing us, at the very least.”Dias had to admit his defeat. “I doubt he would have done anything to her himself. The rope he used is still tied to the tree over there. Go one by one and take your time. Colel, if your arm is a hindrance, I will gladly carry you on my back. But all of you should go before me.”Cam was quick to volunteer to be the first to climb down, but Blu was already taking the rope. “Sorry Cam, but just in case Magnar got hurt, I want to at least be able to give first aid.”Blu didn’t wait for any response and started struggled to climb down the rope. It was hard to not look down and to climb with a steady pace. He was having a hard enough time with minimal supplies, he had no idea how Magnar seemed to move with such ease carrying as much as he did.Cam watched Blu move slowly down the rope. He looked uneasy, but he seemed to be getting used to it. Once the rope disappeared under the trees, she wouldn’t be able to see him, but she would start when least the rope was no longer taught.At the bottom of the rope, Blu realized that there was still a long way to go, but he was able to swing himself into a tree. Trees he was comfortable climbing and much easier for him to descend. He hoped the others wouldn’t take as long as he did, but he also hoped he would be able to find Magnar since a few days had already passed.Blu landed safely on the ground and had a look around. He saw some footprints that looked big enough to be Magnar’s, but he thought he saw what might have been a smaller size mixed within them. There was a lot of mud, but once the ground was a bit drier, the footprints were no longer visible, but an entrance into the side of the cliff stood out in the late morning sun. He was cautious, but if Magnar was here too, he was likely taking shelter inside. He walked down the solitary hallway until he neared the inner chamber. He could easily hear Magnar’s voice, but it also sounded like Loke’s. He wanted to believe it was really her, but he couldn’t believe she would survive such a fall.“The only reason Dias would have asked a question about my purification process is if someone else asked him. Clearly since it was just the two of you, it had to have been you really inquiring about it. Honestly, it really isn’t proper to ask about such things.” A woman’s voice sounded like it was scolding someone.A man’s voice countered her argument. “It was just curiosity! Dias is the one that made it something more than it was intended to be. It isn’t like I care what you have to wear.”“You cared when you had to wear it.”“Don’t you? It’s not a very thick fabric.”Blu sat outside the door listening to the light banter and wasn’t sure if his tears were relief or joy, but he couldn’t stop himself.“It’s that way intentionally. Like I said before…” Loke stopped when Magnar held up a hand and pointed toward the door.Magnar quietly walked over to the doorway and looked around the corner. Blu was sitting next to the doorway with his knees near his face, sobbing into his hands. Magnar didn’t want to scare him, but he couldn’t just leave him there. He went back inside close to Loke, making sure to dismiss Loke’s argument loudly before Magnar went back to the door. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”Looking outside the door, Magnar saw Blu standing just outside the door. It was clear Blu had wiped his eyes, but they were still red and very puffy. “So, looks like someone found us, Loke!” He grinned at Blu and threw an arm around him and dragged him into the room. “We need your help in here.”Blu let himself be pulled in by Magnar and saw Loke sitting in the center of the room next to their small fire. Her leg had a blood-soaked cloth on it and she had a lot of other cuts and bruises, but she was waving at him in good spirits. He wanted desperately to hug her tightly, but knew she needed his help more than a hug. Instead, he immediately went to the cloth on her and started to untie it. “What happened?”“My leg? I think it caught Cam’s sword. Or a tree. I hit a lot of trees on the way down.” Loke wondered if she looked worse than she felt. She hoped someone would have her supplies. She wanted to at least change into clothes that weren’t as tattered.Blu paused before he untied the knot. “Can I take a look at it?”“Of course.” Loke paused and looked past Blu. “But where is everyone else?”“They’ll be coming soon. “ Blu untied the fabric and wasn’t sure how to handle a wound this great. He definitely would need Dias, but he at least had something to clean it and could give it clean bandages. “This is really bad.”“I’m not going to lose my leg, am I?” Loke tensed as she felt herself start to panic.“No, I don’t think so, but Dias will be able to help more than I can. For now I can clean it and put some stitches in it.” Blu wondered if that would even be enough.“That would be appreciated.” Loke started to relax and Magnar mostly paced behind Blu, feeling useless.Blu started to rummage through the first aid kit. “Magnar, this will probably hurt her a lot. Dias always said that they would give people alcohol to keep them from realizing how much pain they were in. I don’t have any, but is there any in here, by chance?”Magnar shook his head. “Nothing of the sort. We haven’t really had any food or water in two days either.”Blu frowned and looked at Loke’s wound. He remembered Dias said he was going to be the last one to come down, but this couldn’t really wait for that. “Then, can you hold her still.”Loke tried to sit up straighter, nervous about Blu’s tone. “Wait, exactly how much is this going to hurt?”“Probably more than anything else in your life.” Blu had everything ready and waited for Magnar to hold her from behind. He was trying not to shake from nervousness, but seeing her frightened was making him anxious. Dias had him practice on many of the animals they hunted but this wasn’t a dead animal. It was a living person – someone he looked up to.Loke didn’t appreciate being held so tightly, but she didn’t feel unsafe as she was with the two people she trusted the most. It wasn’t until Blu started that she let out a piercing scream and Magnar fought to preserve his hearing and keep her from fighting Blu.“You’re not going to like me for this right now, but you’ll thank me later.” Magnar put a hand over her face and held her as tight as he could until she lost consciousness. “Blu, try to hurry.”Cam was reaching the bottom of the cliff when she heard Loke’s cry. She couldn’t identify it at first, but knew it was definitely someone in pain. She noticed the entrance on the side of the cliff and ran inside just as Magnar was pulling his hand from Loke’s face. Cam’s face drained of all color as she slowly walked into the room. She couldn’t see what Blu was doing at her distance, but it looked highly inappropriate and she had a duty to inspect the situation.Magnar noticed Cam and raised a hand, which was now free because Loke stopped struggling. “Oh, Cam! Are the others on their way too? We could really use Dias in here.”“What… what did you do to her?” Cam was almost near them, but her voice was filling with anger and her expression matched her tone.“I knocked her out for a bit so Blu could sew up her leg. Is something wrong?” Magnar noticed Cam slowly reaching for a sword and wondered what she thought was happening.Cam heard his words and slowly looked over the situation now that she could see from a different angle. He was indeed right and she felt stupid for over reacting. “No, nothing. But how did she survive that fall?”“She fell in just the right place to land into deepest part of the pond. She must have landed on her back though. It’s bruised up pretty bad. Her leg needs the most attention, so Blu is taking care of it now.” Magnar was still keeping Loke propped up against him in case she woke up.Blu was focused but was listening to the two converse around him. “I should be done soon, but Dias needs to follow up on it.”“Dias was waiting for the end, so he will probably be another few hours.” Cam watched what Blu was doing a little closer and couldn’t help but inquire. “What happened to her leg? And will it be alright if you just sew it together?”“She said it might have been from your sword or a tree. She didn’t really know, but it was bleeding a lot when I found her. I wish I knew more than put pressure on it to stop the bleeding.” Magnar carefully slid out from under her and just kept her head on his leg.“I’m so relieved that she is safe. I couldn’t help think that it was my fault she fell. If only I could have reached her, then she wouldn’t be here like this.” Cam sighed and sat next to Magnar.“It’s not your fault.” Magnar still mostly blamed himself, but had let most of the guilt go when he saw Loke survived. “But because she fell, we were able to find this place.”“It doesn’t look like there’s anything special about it, though. Even the volcano we went to for Balan had the elaborate table.” Cam looked at the stone walls and thought it was lacking compared to the other temples they’d seen.Magnar forgot that they hadn’t seen the library in Kabra and it wasn’t revealing itself here either. He wondered if Loke had control over that or if some other power did it just for her. “Earlier it was something useful for her. I’m not sure what it was, but it was similar in Kabra. Except that time she spent two days sick and completely insane. This time she slept it off.”Blu looked up at him curiously. “I knew she wasn’t feeling well, but she didn’t seem to be acting unusual. A bit overactive the one morning, but I thought she was just excited to do the ceremony.”Magnar scratched his head. “A lot happened inside after you saw her that morning. Fevers, chills, threats to offer herself to the gods. It was crazy. At least this time she stayed asleep.”“What would make her do that, though?” Cam remembered that room looking similar to this one.“The temple in Kabra and this one seem to have a library that we’re not really privy to. I’ve seen it but never been able to interact with it. In Kabra, she said she read something written by gods themselves. I guess that kind of thing is too much for just anyone to absorb.” Magnar still wasn’t sure he understood what she told him and mostly humored her ramblings.“But there are gods everywhere. Colel and Balan could write anything. Would that make a difference?” Cam didn’t understand his explanation.Magnar shrugged. “I guess this was a lot older? Maybe a vessel from a long time ago? I don’t really understand it, but she might be able to explain it better. Though, I’m not sure if she would want to.”“Is she going to be mad that you told us about the library and reading something from the gods?” Blu didn’t want to upset her, but he was interested in the things she learned and if she could share them.“Maybe. Who knows? She never asked me to keep it a secret.”As Blu was finishing, Votan came in, mostly relieved that he found anyone at all. “Looks like I found a secret base. What are we going to do with Loke?”“Wait for her to wake up and explain what Saal is doing.” Magnar wondered if Votan could learn how to be considerate of anyone else’s feelings.“She’s not dead?” Votan thought for certain she would have been, but if Magnar said she was going to wake up, he had no reason to not believe him.“She lucked out. I guess her fate didn’t end here.” Magnar looked down and noticed the diamond shape under her right eye was catching up to the one on the left, but it still seemed light compared to Colel’s markings. He guessed she still had a way to go. Even his own marks were getting darker as the days passed.One by one everyone found their way into the inner chamber until Dias found everyone waiting impatiently for him. He was quickly updated by Blu what happened and was led to a sleeping Loke on her leaf bed. He was just as surprised as everyone else that she was still alive, but didn’t waste any time looking over her wounds. He praised Blu for his work, but worried that the wound might be too old for him to be able to heal properly, but he would do what he could.By morning, Loke’s leg was still sore but mostly healed. It exhausted Dias, but he surprised himself at what he was capable of. Having reunited and grouped, they needed to get back to their objectives. Balan and Votan had scouted around the area outside, but weren’t able to find any route that would lead them back up the cliff. Ultimately, everyone would have to climb to get back to the top of the cliff. Colel and Loke weren’t able to climb well - or at all - but Magnar knew he could be useful. He placed his hands against the side of the cliff wall and gradually a narrow staircase pulled out from the wall. Since Dias didn’t want Loke putting too much pressure on her leg and Magnar exhausted himself to make the staircase, Cam carried Loke up the side of the cliff at the rear, making sure no one fell behind. The stairs seemed to never end, but once they reached the rope, the group knew they were closer to the top. Back on stable land above the hidden temple below, Dias was relieved to find the horses and wagon were still safe and where he had left them.
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Dias drove the wagon slower, but steady. Loke was anxious to meet with Saal, but given the condition of everyone on board, they were not only physically impaired, but mentally weakened. Her body was healing fine, but the mood had been somber since her fall. The group encountered little resistance until they reached the Great Northern Bridge. Military presence was significant compared to the Great Southern Bridge and waiting for this particular set of travelers was someone that was dressed in formal military attire and exuded the same type of confidence that Palen had when he came to Magnar’s farm. Loke felt her heart sink and confidence waver as she predicted this could be none other than the Ri of Yopa, Joviix. Loke knew little of Joviix – mostly he was a young Ri, similar in age to herself and Magnar and had been fully cooperating with Zipan. Joviix stood with his arms crossed, carefully watching at the approaching wagon. Magnar presented Joviix documents from Quiri and hoped they could pass through as easily as it had been to enter Yopa.Joviix looked over the papers and tossed them back at Magnar. Most of them scattered over the seat and the ground and as Magnar started to collect them, he had a sword pointed straight at his throat.“Although I have no direct issues with Nich and those that hail from there, I still have the right to restrict people from entering or leaving my country.”“Your country? What makes you so important to ignore documents from Chancellor Quiri?” Magnar didn’t seem to waver, despite the sting of the cold steel at his throat.The man laughed and drew back his sword a few inches. “You’re speaking to the future emperor of the lands of Zipan and Yopa!”“Future emperor? What happened to the Ri of Yopa?” Magnar knew he shouldn’t be pushing someone that could kill him before he finished a sentence, but he also never cared for grandstanding, regardless of their rank.“I am the Ri of Yopa.” Joviix emphasized the I and withdrew his sword completely, putting his hands on his hips and tipping his head to the side to flip his hair.Magnar and Dias looked at him with lack of enthusiasm and Colel, who looked through the curtain with Loke made a disgusted face.“Colel, what’s going on out there?” Cam noticed her expression showed concern the entire time, but her blatant look of disgust caused her to inquire.“We’ve been stopped and harassed by the Ri of Yopa himself. He’s… I don’t know how to say it, but he’s somewhat flippant and extraordinarily egocentric.” Colel still wasn’t sure how to best describe him.“Ri of Yopa… Joviix I think his name is.” Loke was thinking aloud across from Colel, wondering what the best way to approach him would be.“It also looks like Magnar’s giving him a hard time, but that seems like a bad idea,” Colel added.Loke stood up and climbed out the back of the wagon. She suspected Magnar’s defiance would make it more difficult, but she also didn’t think Joviix was going to be easy on them if he was compliant.“Hey, where’s she going?” Votan looked out the back and didn’t see any threats from behind but looked to Colel and Cam to see if he should give chase.“It can’t be good, whatever it is. The rest of you stay here.” Cam was quick to follow Loke while Blu stayed inside with the twins and Votan.Loke came striding up the side of the wagon toward the Ri and his soldiers. “Joviix, what has she promised you?”Joviix turned away from Magnar and Dias to look at Loke. “My, my. Is this the priestess that everyone’s all frantic about?”“I highly doubt I’ve made that much of an impact for you to know who I am. But I have no idea who this everyone is you’re talking about.” Loke hoped she would never become so arrogant as a leader.“Everyone important to the cause. Myself, Lord Edras, Aja Palen, King Copan, Betti isn’t terribly fond of you either and of course, since you’re standing in my beloved’s way, Saal is quite looking forward to meeting you. And destroying you. We’ve heard about those communities of Biyeho you’ve wandered to. We worked so hard to weaken their beliefs and you came by with your fancy stage performance and got them all excited again. So, as you can see, we aren’t your biggest fans.” Joviix put his swords away as he didn’t see Loke as much of a threat.Magnar leaned towards Dias and whispered, “THIS is the Ri of Yopa? He looks about as competent as Palen”Dias simply nodded in agreement to both parts of his statement. He wasn’t sure that it was really Joviix at first, but everything was starting to become a lot clearer as Loke pulled information from him.“You never answered my question. What did Saal promise you?” Loke was nervous and well aware of the risks of confronting Joviix here, but unlike Betti, if he were to ignore her and attack, they wouldn’t be at as much of a disadvantage despite their injuries.Clasping his hands in front of his chest, Joviix stared forlornly in the distance while making his declaration. “I will wed Saal and our union will unify Yopa and Zipan. All I get is her companionship and love while we rule the lands.”Saal was probably using Joviix to get Yopa under her full control and Loke suspected she made promises to Palen and Edras as well, given that Joviix mentioned them specifically. “And for that you’ve destroyed so many innocent lives?”Joviix gestured wildly with each declaration and taunt to Loke. “Would you not go to such lengths for the one you love?”While Loke and Joviix were engaged in dialogue, Dias and Magnar remained in the front of the wagon to watch and everyone else had quietly exited the wagon to watch the exchange from behind. Dias was especially interested in Loke’s response.“The lengths I would go to for love would never involve such disregard for another. I would sooner sacrifice myself to protect those I cared about and if they asked me to commit heinous acts, I wouldn’t see them remotely worthy of my affections.” Joviix was successful in ruffling her feathers, but Loke would rather engage in a superfluous argument than have to risk further injuries to her companions.Joviix burst into laughter. “Such a naïve answer! Clearly, you haven’t had the proper opportunity to love someone with the entirety of your being. But I suppose that devotion to your gods prohibits knowing another’s touch, doesn’t it?”While Magnar argued with Loke, he’d only seen her temper completely erupt once, in Kabra, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to see it again. “Dias,” he whispered, “we need to diffuse this situation.”“I was curious to see where this was going, but alright.” Dias descended from the wagon and stood between Joviix and Loke. “Ok, we get your point. Ri Joviix, besides antagonizing a young woman about her personal business, what concerns do you actually have for us leaving Yopa? You even said yourself that the empress is looking forward to our arrival.”“You make an eloquent point. You’re the doctor, am I correct?” Joviix looked away from Loke to address Dias.“I am. But our documents are valid and I would ask that you grant us permission to leave.” Dias glanced at Loke, finding her still standing firm, but less tense.“No can do, I’m afraid. You see, much like the lovely priestess says she would do, I also would do what it takes to protect the one I love. So, I can’t let you enter her country again. And since it looks like everyone here looks like they’ve had a bit of a rough day, so you should just surrender and I’ll make sure your deaths are swift.” Joviix’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword.“I don’t think we’re about to do that either.” Magnar picked up his scythe and stood beside Dias.“Then you’re simply choosing a more difficult death. If that is your choice, then allow us to get some exercise!” Joviix commanded several soldiers forward and decided he was going to watch the intruders fall to his well-trained soldiers.Twelve soldiers had been brought down mostly by Cam and Votan before Joviix drew his swords and decided to join the fight.“Clearly my soldiers need more training if they aren’t able to exterminate vermin such as you. I’ll just have to demonstrate proper techniques and take care of you all myself!” Joviix initially charged Cam, as she was the one that displayed the most battle experience. If he could defeat her, the rest would be easy.Balan was Loke’s last line of defense with Blu nearby for support. Joviix was posing a challenge to Cam while the others were still busy with the remaining soldiers. Colel’s left arm was still weak, but she pushed through the pain to defend when she had to.Votan put his back to Colel’s as she kicked a solder away from her. “Let me be your left arm. I’ve watched how you fight, I can support you.”Colel didn’t like Votan’s proposition, but she didn’t have much choice. “Fine, but don’t complain if you end up getting hurt.”Balan turned to check on Loke, and found she was already drawing a large design in the dirt. “What are you working on? That one is different than what you used on Betti.”“Something I figured out in the temple. I understand it in principal, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to do this right. The last person that tried to utilize time particles had a different method than I’ve been using and that’s what I’m about to try. I require contact, but this won’t. If I’m successful, it might not last long, so please use that time well.” Loke had to trust Balan and Blu to keep anyone from interfering and kept her focus on the sigil she was making. With the sigil complete, she scanned the battlefield for an opportunity. She rarely watched everyone at once, but they seem synchronized and it was evident how cohesive they had become against an enemy. It was inspiring to see everyone using their physical skills as well as blending their acquired spirit powers into their attacks. Shaking her head to focus, she was unable to see a clear path to Joviix. He was agile and didn’t seem to stay in one place for too long. “Balan, do you think we could lure him this way?”Balan looked at Loke with skepticism. “Why would you want to do that? You can’t run from him and don’t have anything to stop his sword. He’ll run you through before you could stop him.”“I need a clear path to him and if he ran straight for me, it would provide me with an open lane.” Loke continued to keep her eyes focused on Joviix as he headed for Dias, but he jumped back as Blu’s lightning hit in front of him.Balan refused. “I can’t risk that. Magnar would murder me himself if I let this gaudy bastard kill you.”Frustrated at Balan’s refusal to cooperate, Loke called out to Blu, knowing he would be more likely to comply.Hearing his name, Blu moved closer to Loke while keeping his eye on supporting everyone else. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing’s wrong, but I need a clear line to Joviix. Even if he starts charging this way, it’ll give me a path, but I don’t want to have anyone else get caught in this since I’m not exactly sure how this works.” Loke thought she saw a faint glow in the sigil when she looked to make sure it was still intact.“Blu, don’t do it.” Balan was still against Loke being targeted and launched an arrow into the knee of someone heading toward Colel. “If it doesn’t work, she’ll be almost defenseless against those blades.”Blu looked at the massive design she drew in the dirt then up at everyone else. “I’ll clear a path, but it might not be for long.” Blu ran off to spread the word to those in direct combat.Balan readied an arrow and waited for Loke’s opportunity. “Don’t miss, because he’ll definitely kill you if you do.”“I didn’t survive that fall only to die from someone like this.” Loke stood behind the sigil and waited.The message eventually was received by everyone and their positions gradually shifted, clearing a center lane. Loke knelt at the end of the path and called for Joviix, who smiled at the opportunity to attack the unarmed priestess. As Loke expected, he charged at her directly. Most of the fighting paused to watch, as she rarely met their foes head on. Standing, she pulled the glowing sigil from the ground and pushed it straight in Joviix’s direction. He had only seen her stand, but felt a warm wind push over him and closed his eyes to block out the dirt that came with it.Joviix opened his eyes and found himself in his hometown, part of the slums in Maaskab, the capital city of Yopa. There were children running about and playing, unaware of the hardships of the adults. He recognized the children as kids he used to play with while his parents worked to earn their meager salary. He hadn’t thought about his parents in a long time, but his mother’s voice always calmed him. He loved her voice, especially as she sang to him every night. He wasn’t sure why, but he was suddenly watching an argument between his parents. Looking past them, he glimpsed a cabinet that was partially opened and realized that it was the younger version of him hiding inside. His father was angry about something he had done and brutally attacking her for keeping his location a secret as he claimed the boy needed to pay for what he had done. Joviix couldn’t remember what he might have done to anger his father, but he remembered what was coming and tried to intervene, but found that his father passed straight through him as his mother was hit with a bottle and collapsed. His father didn’t bother to check on his mother and stormed out of the house. The young Joviix left his hiding place and sat beside his mother, confused about the blood that was pooling under her head. She used the last bit of energy she had to sing her usual lullaby to him as she died. Thrust into the throws of despair having to relive the worst moment of his life, Joviix fell to his knees beside his mother screaming for it to end.The soldiers had stopped fighting and watched as Jovix suddenly stopped and fell to the ground, holding his head and screaming through his tears. “I’ll kill him as many times as I have to! I’ll kill him!”Everyone looked at Joviix dumbfounded. Loke whispered to Balan and he fired an arrow that landed in front of Joviix to get his attention and bring him back to reality.Begging for mercy, Joviix wept and waved at the bridge. “Go. Go to Zipan. I don’t know what you did, but get out of Yopa. You Biyeho are dangerous and cruel. Don’t think that Saal will let you live.”Silently, the group reorganized and left Joviix sobbing near the bridge as they started across into Zipan. They weren’t ready to face Saal, but Joviix revealed more than Loke expected and she wanted to get Faluk on their side.“What did you do to him?” Votan asked. “People don’t stop in the middle of a battle to have a complete breakdown.”“Supposedly, that technique shows you something important that impacted your life that you may have forgotten. I mentioned to Balan that it was something that was used specifically from someone else that was able to utilize time particles without a full contract with Timop. I needed to try. I feel bad that it seems to have been something traumatic for him, but I’m more relieved that everyone else is okay.” Loke looked out the back of the wagon at Yopa and wondered if they would even see it again to get home.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Traveling through Zipan was a drastically different experience compared to their first visit. The group sensed that they were being watched at all times, but no one ever approached or attacked them. They took minimal stops, only pausing when the horses needed it. As long as they were only being watched, it had been the best chance for everyone to rest their bodies, though everyone was expecting to be attacked at any time. From the western shore of the frozen lake, the capital city of Corozol was slightly visible through the haze. Loke knew that was where Saal was waiting for her, but she would have to wait longer.Magnar was testing the strength of the ice. “Loke, are you sure this is all about the fire in the deep water?”“It should be. It would be overly rare for fire in a place like this and it has been rumored that if the lake weren’t frozen, it would be one of the deepest places in Itzam.” Loke stood at the lake edge. The water was perfectly clear and even at the edge it seemed to quickly taper into depths.“So, now what? It isn’t like Colel can go swimming like Balan did on that table.” Votan wasn’t too far behind Magnar on the ice. He had never seen water so clear and was thoroughly marveled by its existence.Loke sat in the snow next to Blu and looked out over the lake. Magnar, Votan, and Cam were being cautious around the edge of the actual ice while Balan was already sliding as far onto it as he could without Cam yelling at him to come back. Dias was on the lakeside looking over Colel’s arm to make sure it was improving. It was still bruised, but she insisted it felt “perfectly fine.”As Balan kept pushing further and further out, he started to notice some small buildings on the ice and thought it strange that someone would live on a lake. He came back to the shoreline and dropped into the snow. “That ice is so clear, you can see fish so far down before it just disappears into blackness. But it’s strange. A bit further over the lake there are houses on it. Why would someone live there?”“It is probably for fishing.” Dias was pleased at Colel’s arm and was looking over Loke’s leg. She avoided wandering around when they stopped and he hadn’t been able to evaluate how it was healing.“Fishing?” Balan didn’t quite understand, but he did like to fish in the river in Tohil when he could. But that was a flowing river, not solid ice.“Indeed. They build shelter from the wind and snow and cut into the ice. If you can see the fish through it that clearly, then there must be a lot of fish where the huts are.”Balan’s eyes sparkled. “That sounds like fun. We should do that.”“We’re not here to have fun, Balan. Loke said this place should be where we could find the fire spirit.” Colel outwardly preferred if they just kept going to see Saal instead of this detour for her but she was envious of everyone else that was able to obtain some powers and wanted her chance as well, especially since someone like Votan could control wind.“I’m fairly certain Faluk should be around this area. But if we used one of those fishing huts, it might be a good method to get under the ice. The ice would be thinner inside since someone would have had to cut through it.” Loke winced as Dias changed her bandage and applied medicine to the cut.“Wouldn’t we die if we went into water that cold?” Blu hoped they all didn’t need to go under the ice but worried for Colel if she went alone.“I’m surprised Colel’s not frozen solid from how short her shorts are.” Balan hated Colel’s clothes. If he had it his way, she’d be head to toe in a frumpy gown that wouldn’t draw anyone’s attention – especially Votan’s.“They don’t bother me, they shouldn’t bother you.” Colel threw snow at her brother.Balan easily dodged the snowball and threw one back at her general direction, smiling as he finally got her to indulge in something fun.“Balan makes a good point, though. We’ve all complained about the cold, but not once have you made mention of it.” Loke hadn’t realized it before, but once she said it, all eyes were on Colel.Colel stopped making her next snowball. “Well, it is cold, but it doesn’t bother me a lot. The desert heat didn’t bother me as much either. Is that weird?”“Weird.” Balan was quick to confirm.“I agree.” Blu nodded, wondering if she was just trying to sound strong.“It is quite unusual to not be affected temperature extremes.” Dias was intrigued, but thought weird was a bit of a degrading term.“Unusual for all of us, but not Colel, right? This makes sense.” Their attention shifted from Colel to Loke.“How isn’t that weird? I know she’s been like that for most of our lives, but it should still be weird.” Balan wondered if Loke knew something about his sister he didn’t know – though he doubted that was possible.“Dias, has bright light ever really fazed you?” Loke asked.“No, not really. It is less of a nuisance now than before, but it wasn’t ever much of a problem.” Dias quickly understood what she was insinuating.Loke continued, “and Balan, how has your relationship with water been all your life?”“Alright, I guess? I like to swim.” Balan didn’t understand what Loke was trying to say.“Balan would take hours in the bath.” Colel corrected him.Balan felt the need to defend himself. “That only seemed like hours because you were in and out so fast that I wasn’t sure if you even bathed!”Loke sighed while the twins started to argue. “Colel isn’t bothered by the temperature because of the affinity she already has to fire. She doesn’t feel the cold as bad as we do because she’s already running at a higher temperature and the extreme heat is similar in that she doesn’t notice it being as hot.” She thought she was only speculating, but deep down she knew it was true.The twins stopped as soon as Loke started talking and thought about what she said. It seemed to make some sort of sense and when they thought about Cam and darkness, they figured she probably wasn’t wrong.“What’s all the chatter over here about?” Magnar came back from the lake with Cam and Votan in tow.“Mostly about why Colel is never cold or too hot.” Balan managed to get it out before Colel shoved snow into his face.“Which is the reason we’re here in the first place.” Loke still wasn’t sure how to proceed. If they could get one of the fishing huts, they could at least keep out of the elements and she could try and figure it out their next steps.“Do we really need to get under the lake, though?” Votan only saw fish and darkness. Even from the where he stood; the dark seemed to go down forever.“Supposedly, yes. Fire in deep water is the indicated passage, so I’m fairly certain we will need to find the deepest part of the lake. If we can find one of those fishing huts near it, then we might be in a better position to get to Faluk.” Loke carefully stood and brushed off the snow.“Great, then let’s find a hut!” Balan was already up and running on the ice.“Dias, when he falls and hurts himself, let him suffer for a bit.” Colel stepped cautiously onto the ice but found it fairly easy to walk on.Blu lingered with Loke to make sure she didn’t fall. It wasn’t as easy as walking on the ground, but the snow and the slippery ice under it could make it easy for someone to fall, especially since Loke still favored her injured leg.“Blu, if you’re stay with Loke to make sure she can walk on this, I’m going ahead with Balan and Colel.” Magnar often entrusted Loke with Blu and this time shouldn’t be much different. He was still concerned about the fact that no one had tried to attack or apprehend them since coming to Zipan.Dias and Votan bridged the gap while Cam stayed with Loke and Blu at the rear. The water was indeed almost clear enough to see forever into an abyss, but it was just a matter of how deep everything went. Even Cam with her ability to see through darkness wasn’t able to see to the bottom.The scouting group stopped at a dilapidated hut and waited for the Loke with Cam and Blu to catch up. Estimating the distance from shore, Magnar guessed this was close to the center of the lake that they could get. There were several other huts in the area, but the ones that had chimneys were empty, but recently deserted. It made Magnar even more suspicious at how quiet their travels had been lately.“So, all the houses we found so far were empty, as is this one. It isn’t in good shape, but it looks like it might closest to the center of the lake.” Magnar was trying to hold the door up, but it kept falling down.“We all won’t fit in there.” Votan was quick to point out the obvious.“No, but Loke and Colel will.” Magnar took the door back down for the two of them to enter. “We’ll wait out here.”Votan protested. “I could have fit in there. What if she needs me?” He figured if he couldn’t sit on the ice inside, he could just cling to the wall or ceiling. His plea went completely ignored.Inside the building, there was evidence of a fishing hole that had frozen over, but was a little cloudy compared to the rest of the ice they had been traveling on. They sat across from each other over the refrozen hole and stared at it.“So, what do we do now?” Colel stared at the cloudy ice without any ideas of her own.Loke didn’t really have any ideas until she noticed the ice around Colel’s hands and legs starting to shine like they were wet and not frozen. She reached over to touch it and having confirmed her suspicions, she had an idea. “How much risk are you willing to take?”Outside the building, Votan was trying to look through the broken boards and cracks to no avail while Cam kept trying to look into the water for any indication of something besides more darkness. The rest of the group sat around the building waiting for any indication of something to happen. Not one for waiting patiently, Balan amused himself by sliding around the ice. He stopped when he noticed something falling through the ice and into the depths.“Hey, something just went down into the lake. I couldn’t see what it was, though.” Balan had a sinking feeling in his stomach.One by one, they looked into the endless depth of the lake and saw nothing. Cam only saw fish and nothing that could have supported Balan’s claim. Balan was certain he saw something and worried it might have been his sister.Colel wanted the power of Faluk enough to agree to Loke’s plan, no matter how risky it sounded, especially after Loke pointed out the melted ice under her.Using her uninjured arm, she was able to slam the ice with a tonfa and break through the frozen fishing hole. The water that splashed was bitterly cold to Loke, but Colel thought it simply felt cool and not much different than the outside air. Once Colel broke through the ice, she slipped into the water – holding her breath as she let herself sink down.Next to the hole, Loke began a string of soft chanting that would typically be used in a winter festival for protection from the cold and future warmth. Loke thought of nothing that could possibly have given her guidance but wanted to offer as much support as she could like she did with Cam. Unfortunately, despite her support, Loke knew Colel was on her own.Magnar thought he could hear Loke chanting, but decided to let them do what needed to be done. If Loke was chanting, then she thought of something to help Colel and it would just be a matter of time.As Colel sank further and further into the endless abyss, the darkness started to change into a warm red color before she dropped out of the water and onto the floor of a cavern. The water still sat on the ceiling like a bubble, but she only gave I a passing thought as she walked down the path into the heart of the cavern.“Hello? Is anyone in here? What kind of place is this?” Colel was hoping for an answer. She was stopped by the sudden appearance of what might have been a svelte woman dressed in fire. It wasn’t concrete, but she expected that nothing in this place was logical or definite.“Goddess, I’m humbled by your visit. To what do I owe this honor?” The woman’s voice was soft, even if her visage looked powerful.Colel pointed to herself and the woman nodded. “I was looking for Faluk, the spirit of fire. What is this place?”“Fire in the deep water. Although, I can’t say that this temple is of much use any longer as the entrance has long been cut off from the world. Being submerged in such a place is also a cruel fate for me. But you said you were looking for Faluk and here you’ve found her.” Faluk’s gaze wandered aroundt he room before settling back on Colel.Colel was frantic and quickly curtseyed. “It should be I that has the honor of meeting you! A goddess is nothing compared to a spirit.”“If you say so. While different, we share commonalities. But I assume you have come to ask for my powers like your friends have already done.”“I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but yes, I would ask for your assistance in ensuring that those that believe in us will be able to continue to do so without persecution.” Colel paused and wondered when she started to pick up Loke’s style of speaking. She admired Loke’s grace and ability to become more eloquent in navigating a conversation. It reminded her of her mother before they changed.Faluk looked up at the suspended water. “It appears that the guardian is making her final move. Although, she doesn’t yet have all of the knowledge she will need to bring everyone together, she is making tremendous progress. It was wise to save me for just about last. But you should know something, little goddess.”Colel had no idea what Faluk was talking about, but knew it was about Loke. She would be glad to deliver any message Faluk had to pass on. “What should I know? Is there a message for Loke?”“I am not a spirit that will be tamed so easily. If we fall out of harmony, there is a risk you will end up cooking your own organs.” Colel felt a brief moment of panic before Faluk chimed back in with a small laugh. “I’m only toying with you. But it is true that few have been able to tame me. That jerk Agha sunk me here so long ago because I got out of hand a few times. Just because I surrounded his precious shrine with a volcano, he got all bent out of shape. I hear he trapped himself in there and spent all of his time sulking. Really, no sense of humor.”Colel wasn’t sure how much of what Faluk said was true or a joke, but she listened to her warning. She thought it sounded more like Balan and wondered if somehow he wasn’t supposed to have affinity to fire instead of her. “Is there anything else I should be aware of? Any messages to send?”Faluk thought for a moment. “No, I think that should be sufficient. Keep in mind all of us that are granting you powers can take them away just as easily if we wanted to. And of course, when you die it isn’t tied to your soul in any way.”Colel nodded. She already assumed using a spirits power was conditional and she never expected to be reborn the same as she was before. “Understood. Is there a way I can get back to my friends? I’m sure they’re waiting for me.”“So they are. And you should probably get back quickly and learn how to control the gift you’ve been given. The ice above is melting.” Faluk subtly glanced towards a dark doorway and Colel ran towards it. As she passed through it, she was back in the water, floating upwards towards the light.On the lake, everyone heard the sound of ice cracking and realized the lake was starting to melt. Magnar stayed behind to get Loke as everyone else ran toward the shore.“The ice is melting. Colel will be fine, just come with me!” Magnar held the broken door in his hands and pleaded with Loke, who was alone and chanting next to the broken ice. He suspected Colel had gone under the ice earlier and wasn’t surprised that Loke was alone.Loke refused to stop chanting and only glanced up to shake her head to again reiterate that she wasn’t leaving.Frustrated at Loke’s continued stubbornness, he dropped the door on the ground and if she wasn’t going to stop, he was going to keep her from falling into the depths of the lake for something that she probably wasn’t required to do. It wasn’t a formal ceremony and she wasn’t using Balan or himself for support, so he could only assume she was simply offering prayers of protection. He pushed the door beside her and heard a loud crack nearby. He picked her up and dropped her onto the door and kicked a few boards loose from the structure, holding onto them as he sat beside Loke. Even if the ice collapsed, they wouldn’t drown right away and he could pull Loke to shore. He hoped Colel could find her way back to the surface on her own.A loud creaking noise rumbled through the air and the ice around them began to split apart. The water that splashed up from the crack was warm and as the rest of the hut fell into the lake, they watched other houses crumble and fall into the water. For now, Loke and Magnar sat on a small island of ice, but it was rapidly shrinking and Loke centered herself on the door and started to look into the water for any sign of Colel. Her cadence hadn’t changed, and believed Colel would resurface soon.The ice split between Loke and Magnar and he slipped into the water, using the boards to stay afloat. Loke reached out to him without breaking her chant, but he pushed her hand away. “You keep chanting. Let me look for Colel.”On the shoreline, Balan and Votan wouldn’t stop pacing, each going in opposite directions from each other, crossing at a central point where Cam, Blu, and Dias waited.“I should be the one out there waiting for her! She’s my sister! And my skills aren’t perfect, but I have some water powers too!” Balan was berating himself for being so far from her. He disregarded her feelings when he disappeared in the volcano, but he now understood how she must have felt.“Balan, calm down. Colel will be fine. You disappeared, but came back alright. I did the same in Wiil. Believe in her and she’ll make her way back.” Cam was just as anxious as Balan, but she used to hiding her fear. She wanted to keep him calm before he put himself at risk unnecessarily.Balan wasn’t satisfied with Cam’s answer and used anything he could think of to project his concerns. “But why is it always those two? I could have waited with Loke for her to come back! I should be the one to help Colel! She’s my responsibility, not Magnar’s!”Dias grabbed Balan’s shoulders as he reached the center and gave him a brief jolt. “Colel will come back just fine. Magnar’s job is to protect Loke, so it is reasonable that he is still out there. If something happens and you were also there, then it is one more person the rest of us will feel guilty for not being able to save.” Dias didn’t intend to imply that the three were going to drown, but it was something he knew was a possibility. He’d seen it too often during the war.Balan refused to accept anything Dias said and struggled away from him and started into the water. It was considerably warm, despite the cold air and the ice that melted within it. He ignored the orders from Cam to return and started to swim toward Loke and Magnar. He didn’t get too far before a column of water shot up from the lake, causing a large wake that briefly overflowed the banks. By the time Balan righted himself in the water and looked back to where he was originally heading, there wasn’t anyone to be found.The water that spouted from the deepest part of the lake pushed Loke and Magnar apart, but they managed to stay above water by clinging to the door and the boards, respectively. Once the water stopped raining down, Colel pushed through the water surface and looked around bewildered. It only took her a moment, but she found Loke drifting in the direction of Corozol and Magnar in the opposite toward the group on the edge of the lake. She thought she saw Balan not too far away from the shore, but it was hard to make out finer details.Balan finally caught sight of Loke on the door getting further and further away but then noticed Colel treading water started swimming as hard as he could. Magnar saw Loke drifting away but spotted Colel between them and made his way towards her first.Magnar reached Colel shortly before Balan and gave her one of the boards to hold for support. Once Balan arrived, he headed in Loke’s direction before she drifted too far out of reach or sank.“What happened to the lake?” Colel used the board to hold herself above water as Balan guided her back to shore.“It melted. Really quickly too. All the huts fell in and are floating about. Also, the water is pretty warm.” It felt nice with the cold, snowy air, but Balan knew he was going to regret being wet when he got out of the lake.“Melted? I guess that could be from Faluk, but I hope it wasn’t my fault. She did mention that I needed to learn how to control it.” Colel was starting to feel guilty. She melted a lake that was frozen for decades and put everyone at risk.“I don’t think you’re at fault. It’s probably some side effect from meeting with Faluk.” Balan wanted to comfort her. He doubted Colel would have enough of Faluk’s power to cause something so extreme and was certain it was Faluk herself.“I hope so.” Colel looked back to see Magnar getting closer to Loke. “Do you think they’ll be alright?”“This is easy compared to some of that other stuff we’ve been through. And I can try to calm the water to make it easier. Let’s just get out and dry off.”Colel and Balan were in the process of drying off when Magnar reached Loke. She was clinging to the sides of the door desperately, although the water seemed to have calmed down substantially.“Good job, Loke. You managed to get yourself closer to the final destination than the rest of the group. Unfortunately we have to make our way all the way back.”Loke opened her eyes and noticed that they were quite far from where they started and that she was virtually in the shadow of Corozol. “If we weren’t so unprepared, I would just find it easier for them to meet us here.”“Yeah, All I have is my spade and I doubt I could do much damage with that. You want to swim or row yourself out of here?” There was a grin that accompanied the board that Magnar offered Loke.Loke snagged the board and used it to start to row on the one side while Magnar did his best to pull along on the other side. “Is Colel alright?”“She’s fine. Balan came out to make sure she was safe. So what’s the big plan now? Still not convinced you’ll find a time spirit anywhere?”“We confront Saal. I was able to confirm my suspicions about her when, how did you put it, I was getting more information shoved into my head?”Magnar laughed. He definitely didn’t have the same eloquence in expressing his thoughts as Loke did, but it had an extra absurdity when she repeated his words back to him. “It probably was something like that.”“Anyway, my assumptions were mostly correct. Saal is certainly under the influence of the god of deception. I looked through the records and nothing indicated that Deception had ever taken a vessel, so I can only assume he’s using her. For our interests, we’ll just assume that she’s a goddess and will have his powers at her disposal. Her aims are to make herself the one true god by convincing everyone that there is only one god and the Biyeho are foolish to believe otherwise. Using the monotheistic model of the Tumben, she used their fears against the Biyeho to spur both the civil wars in Kabra and Nich without actually interacting with Quiri or Bixun. In the case of King Copan, Joviix, Palen and probably Edras, she used her own beauty to lure them into her plot.” Loke worried about the state of Itzam if half of the leaders could be swayed so easily.Magnar stopped paying attention once he heard Loke’s theory on Saal’s plan. “That doesn’t seem to make any sense. If there are no believers, then no one is offering her anything.”Loke rowed slower as she started to feel fatigued. “I thought of that as well, but it’s in how she speaks and in turn, how she can convince people to refer to their so-called god. She is essentially redirecting their prayers to her as their all-powerful deity instead of the actual god they believe in.”“So she’s sweet talking everyone in to believing that she’s that one god?”“Yes, but in a way that makes it sound that it isn’t her. In a sense, anyone could make that attempt, but she has the skill of convincing people to believe it. Her logic has flaws, but with her power, she can cover those easily.”Magnar wondered what, if anything, they would be able to do when they reached Saal. “And you’re sure this is what she’s doing?”Loke had all but stopped paddling as she felt a slight current carrying them closer to shore. “Absolutely. That room in Yopa was the second of the places where time stands still. I don’t know anything about the third location, but in Kabra I learned about the past and this time I was enlightened on the present.”“So that last place, somewhere, will let you see the future?” Magnar would have liked to have found it for Loke before meeting Saal face to face. He was impressed and almost afraid of her after what she had done to Joviix. He wondered if she would use it again against Saal.“It stands to reason since the other messages have been true, but I don’t think I wish to know. Regardless of what happens today, I won’t need it. I’ll either die, or go home to Holom. I’ve also never been good at telling fortunes anyway, so I think that even if I were to find that place, I would end up seeing some alternate reality and going mad.” Loke was curious to find the third location, but she always hesitated when thinking about the future and it was the main reason her aptitude for fortune reading was poor.Magnar sympathized with her. “Yeah, I could see that. There are plenty of things I’d like to know, but at the same time, I trust fate to get me there. So you’re really not going to look for that place?”Loke shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I’ve given it a lot of thought and if that keeps me from fully becoming a goddess, then I don’t have a problem with that either. It isn’t like I wanted to be a goddess anyway. Just like don’t really want to be the queen.”“Then don’t be the queen. Appoint someone else that isn’t Edras and continue working as a priestess.”“I can’t do that either. Being somewhere between a priestess and a goddess, it feels hollow. I know everything I could have wanted to know when I climbed the ranks. Even now if I don’t know the answer, my book somehow pulls it out of me. The types of ceremonies for someone of my level are incredibly rare. They’re exciting, no doubt, but I also feel like I’m stepping out of line. Besides, I am the queen. I have a country that I’ve neglected for too long and need to ensure it isn’t rotting from the inside.”Magnar could hear the sorrow in her voice as Loke roughly outlined her expectations for the future. He didn’t have anything helpful to offer and felt a bit awkward when she was this open with him. He felt rather lucky that all he had to do after this was go home, try to grow some crops and relax on the porch. “Then maybe find someone to make king and then you’ll have less pressure and someone else that’s obligated to be harassed by you.” He expected her to shove him into the water or accuse him of sounding like Dias, but she stared into the water and was slow to reply. “Hey, I was just kidding. We’re not too far away now, can’t you see them waving?”“You might have been kidding, but you’re also probably right. I should start considering a king since I’ll need to produce an heir. But that’s if we even survive Saal.”“Ok, this conversation took an uncomfortable turn. Time to get back to land.” Magnar dropped back and started to push the door from the back, aiming to get her on shore faster and have other than her to talk to.Loke wondered if Magnar avoided the conversation because he didn’t want to be reminded of her position. Letting silence fall between the, she mustered up a smile and waved at everyone waiting for them on the shore. She nearly toppled backwards when trying to stand on the wooden door, but Blu and Cam were quick to grab her hands and pull her forward onto the banks.“Now that everyone’s back safe and sound, let’s get our priestess to Corozol.” Dias tossed a blanket to Magnar and led the group to the wagon.
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The empty streets of Corozol felt haunted and eerie. Unlike every major city the group had visited, this was desolate and vacant. There were people around, though they were hidden and carefully watching the group as they walked through the streets. Any door or window that may have been open was quickly slammed shut as they passed by.“I don’t like this city. It’s creepy.” Blu was mostly put off how everyone seemed to be actively avoiding them.“It is quite off putting.” Dias looked around and assumed they were the reason for the lockdown.“It’s Saal. She knows we’re here.” Loke clenched her book tightly out of habit in an attempt at self-consolation.“It is still a weird way to welcome someone you’re expecting, though. And it doesn’t look like anyone has seen fun here in a long time.” Balan was antsy not having been able to play much with anyone outside of a few card and word games within the group. He wanted nothing more than to kick a ball around with some local kids.Magnar noticed they had passed several taverns and all of them were just as quiet as the rest of the city. “So, then what’s the plan now? Clearly finding a place to stay first then coming up with a plan isn’t happening tonight.” No sooner had Magnar posed his question that a pale, thin woman with very long, slightly wavy blonde hair approached. The tightness of her ankle-length dress didn’t leave much hidden away and Colel kicked Balan in the back of the leg to keep him from staring. “It is rare that we receive foreign visitors to our city, especially some as distinguished as yourselves. Please, let me welcome you to Corozol. There is more than enough room in the palace.” The woman smiled and stared straight at Loke.Initially, Loke averted her eyes. Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, she looked directly into the woman’s eyes. “Empress Saal, I assume?”“You assume correctly, priestess.” Saal continued toward the group and approached Loke, reaching her hand out to touch her face.“Don’t touch her.” Magnar grabbed Saal’s wrist and immediately relinquished his grip when her pleasant expression contorted to one of malice in his general direction. He felt a chill run through his entire body.Saal’s expression softened again. While she still addressed Loke directly, she no longer attempted to reach out to her. “Your bodyguard certainly is earning his wages. Regardless of his crude behavior, the eight of you are still quite welcome to take refuge in the palace. It’s a lonely place these days and I would adore the company.”“If you know who we are and why we are here, then why…?” Loke struggled to find her words and her entire body was too tense to move. She had a better idea about how Saal had been so successful and while she was a stunningly attractive woman, it wasn’t her beauty that swayed people.As Loke hesitated, Saal smiled wide. “I only wish to give our distinguished guests the welcome that they deserve. However, if the palace makes you uncomfortable, there is an inn at the end of the street that I will arrange for you for this evening. But I do ask that you all take the night to relax and do come see me in the palace in the morning. I would love to hear stories of your adventure.”Loke couldn’t bring herself to answer her. She was terrified at Saal and frustrated at herself for not having the mental fortitude to stand up to Saal on something seemingly casual.Dias, ever observant, understood the situation and accepted her offer for the other inn on Loke’s behalf. “The inn will be great. Thank you, but you don’t need to pay for our stay. We don’t want to impose more than we may already have.”Saal’s smile dropped into a disappointed frown. “Very well. It is the large building on the right that has the waterfall behind it. I will send an escort for you in the morning.” Almost as quickly as she appeared, Saal vanished.“She was something.” Balan’s gaze was fixed on where Saal disappeared.“Balan!” Colel kicked him again.Balan finally turned around and glared at Colel. “What? She was gorgeous.”“She was quite attractive, but she is up to something.” Dias was already heading down the street toward the inn.“She wasn’t as pretty as Colel, though.” Votan thought Saal was pretty, but he thought Colel was the highest standard of beauty.“Of course she wasn’t. I’m so much better looking.” Colel huffed and followed after Dias.One by one, everyone else followed Dias towards the inn but Loke lingered near the back. Magnar paused when she didn’t seem to be keeping up with everyone else. “Loke, is something wrong?”Loke was shaking, half from the cold and half from fear. “I can’t help but feel that we shouldn’t go. We shouldn’t even be here. She’s up to something awful.”“Well, yeah, we all know that. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t use the inn to rest up anyway.” Magnar noticed her shivering and pulled out a blanket, wrapping it around her. Reluctantly, she let him lead her to the others and to the inn.The innkeepers were pleasant, but it was clear that they weren’t comfortable with the group of foreigners being there either. After a brief tour that included open air hot springs and the room where they would be served dinner, they were given individual rooms. Each room had a small balcony that overlooked the waterfall but were angled to give privacy to the hot springs.There were hesitations about being split into individual rooms but the rooms themselves were small and close together. It seemed that there were no other occupants and the silence was deafening. Dias suggested that it would be easy to hear anyone approaching and should be safe enough in their own spaces.Venturing onto her balcony, Loke stared at the waterfall and tried to organize her thoughts. Since their encounter with Saal, her doubts had surfaced in a way that had her reconsidering everything she had done to get this far. Before she could sink too far into her well of sorrow, she heard Colel calling her name from the balcony to her right.“Loke! We should totally take advantage of those baths. Supposedly the cold air with the hot water feels really good. And they did say that the minerals were good for your skin and other ailments. We should see if it helps our busted limbs!” Colel held up her left arm and pointed at it. It was functionally better, but she wanted to do anything she could to get closer to perfect.Loke forced a smile at Colel. She knew Colel was trying to cheer her up and distract from the pressing issue they would have to soon face. Although Dias and Blu had done a wonderful job on her leg, it wasn’t completely healed. It still pained her with overuse and though the wound had closed, she found it distractingly itchy. Colel’s suggestion was something she started to consider. “That’s not a bad idea. But we should go when we can be free from prying eyes.” Loke’s concern was entirely about Votan.“You’re right. Balan’s been notorious in the castle for trying to sneak into the servant’s baths. He doesn’t even hide that he’s trying anymore.”“Balan? I wouldn’t have guessed.” Loke was surprised. “Votan though, I have no doubt he would be a problem if he knew you were there.”Colel laughed. “Of course Votan, too, but Balan sometimes gets in over his head when he finds someone pretty. I’m mostly worried about tomorrow. This is the second time he’s seen Saal, and the first time up close. ”“I have a feeling he might become an easy target. But we shouldn’t talk about this right now.” Besides her own insecurities, she worried someone might be trying to listen on their conversations.Magnar stepped onto his balcony and noticed he was on the left side of Loke’s room and saw Colel just beyond her. He remembered when they went to their rooms that Blu was to his left and thought that everyone else was right of Colel’s room.“Hey, are you two going to check out the baths?” Magnar interrupted.Both Loke and Colel looked at him with malice.“Did I ask something wrong?” Magnar didn’t realize he was striking a nerve for both of them.“Not explicitly. But why would you be interested if we were planning to do that or not?” Colel was projecting Balan’s motives onto him.“Because Dias it should be good for all of our injuries and that I have to make sure she,” Magnar pointed at Loke, “doesn’t randomly disappear. I still would like to be paid at the end of this.”Colel continued to scowl. “You don’t need to follow her in, though.”“I never planned to do that. You seem really defensive, Colel. Is something wrong?” Magnar had only ever seen her exceptionally angry when it came to money, but he assumed something else must have her on edge.Loke sighed, no longer interested in being caught between their dispute. “Nothing’s wrong. She’s worried about Balan. And of course I’ll let you know if I go anywhere. It’s cold, I’m going back inside.”Magnar didn’t know what she was worried about Balan for, but he didn’t want to argue over an additional balcony and headed inside without a word. Colel stayed outside a bit longer, finding the cold air actually refreshing since she felt like she was warmer than usual since she met Faluk. She was worried about Balan and if he would end up betraying them when they met her again. She didn’t expect an easy diplomatic discussion, but Saal didn’t seem quick to violence like Joviix.A brisk knocking on the door pulled Loke out of a dreamless state. She had fallen asleep in a chair and it didn’t even seem that much time had passed since she sat down. She heard the knocking again and Magnar stood on the other side when she opened the door. Loke could hear the voices of the others chatting in the distance.“Dias suggested we all use the baths at the same time and try to actually do as much as possible together. Obviously we’ll be on opposite sides. Are you alright?” Magnar worried she was taking on too much mentally.“Obviously. I’m fine, but keep an eye on our troublemakers. I’d rather not have Colel boil all of us because someone got curious.” Loke followed Magnar out of the room and found everyone else already downstairs.The open air bath was divided into two areas. The landscaping around them was unexpectedly spectacular, especially given the cold climate. The water and steam that rose up from the water made the air feel less painful against their skin. On the men’s side, there were basic plants that could tolerate the drastic change in temperatures and a lot of stonework. A wooden plank wall divided the pool down the center. Under the water beneath the wood, a thick net was set tightly so that no one could easily swim under the wall to the other side. On the women’s side, it was similarly decorated, except there were a lot more winter flowers that were in bloom along the side walls of the area. Nighttime tended to come early in Zipan and the stars were already sparkling above them, even though they had yet to have dinner.Balan grabbed Votan’s arm before he stepped into the water. “Votan, don’t even think about trying to peek over there and look at my sister. I’ll destroy you.”Votan made a face of displeasure. “You’re not curious about the others?”“No, not particularly.” Balan let Votan’s arm go and stepped down into the bath. “I’d rather see that lady from yesterday.”“That lady from yesterday is our enemy.” Dias couldn’t deny that Saal was attractive, but he had to keep things in perspective, especially since Balan seemed smitten on her and even Loke seemed to lose focus around her.Balan waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, I know, but she’s still gorgeous.”Dias wasn’t about to continue arguing, but he hoped that Balan wouldn’t be easily swayed by her beauty. He looked over to Magnar, who was mostly staring at the sky and not really engaging in the conversation. He expected that of Blu, who was just observing everyone else as he often did. “Magnar, you’re awfully quiet tonight. Something on your mind?”Magnar didn’t bother looking at Dias and continued staring at the sky. “A lot of things, actually. I’m worried most about how tomorrow is going to go. There’s no reason to get our hopes up that we’ll have any sort of impact and it’s clear that this country is primed for warfare. Even if we make it out of Zipan alive, I don’t know if it will even matter.”“You should take this time to relax and forget about those things for now. The girls seem to be making the best of it and having quite a bit of fun on their side.” Dias pointed at the wooden wall.The amount of laughter from Cam, Loke, and Colel was undeniable and one could argue it was the only laughter in the entire country of Zipan at that given moment. Loke was even more concerned with the next day than Magnar, but Colel wasn’t about to let her foul mood darken the beautiful scenery. She conspired with Cam to use a pincer attack on Loke to get her to lighten up.Loke largely avoided public bathing areas and was generally uncomfortable with the concept. The thought that it could help her leg heal was her biggest motivation to join. She was lost in her own headspace when Colel and Cam hit her from opposite directions with a poke to her sides. Loke hadn’t been tickled since the summers she spent on the coast with Marisol and Ezra as a child, but it seemed to be exactly what she needed to forget about all their worries for the moment.“They’re really noisy over there. Though, to be honest, I don’t think I’ve heard any of them laugh that much before. Still, I wonder what they’re doing.” Magnar initially thought the laughter was a nice reprieve but he was increasingly curious about what all the noise was about.“There’s a lot of splashing, so they’re probably just having fun.” Blu was also curious, but didn’t have any other answers. He was a little jealous that this side was mostly Balan threatening Votan and an overwhelming somber atmosphere.“We could see what they’re up to.” Dias casually remarked, not really expecting anyone to hear him, but when all eyes focused on him he simply shrugged.“I didn’t expect you to be the one to actually make that suggestion.” Magnar couldn’t help but chuckle.“We should be concerned that there isn’t anything terrible happening to them. We could send the unassuming Blu to look in on it.” Dias suggested.Blu looked at Dias with wide eyes and shook his head. He knew how poorly Loke overreacting to misunderstood situations panned out for Magnar and would rather not encounter that for himself. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Can’t Balan do something about it with his water power?”“Oh! I might be able to do something!” Balan moved himself closer to the division wall and put his hands along the top of the water, but after a few moments shook his head with futility. “Nope. There’s just too much movement.”Shortly after Balan went back to his previous spot, the laughter seemed to die down and was replaced with relaxed conversation on both sides of the wall.“That’s better. One less depressed priestess.” Colel felt a lot better now that a lot of the tension was cut.“I think we all needed that. I hope the guys are finding a way to unwind.” Cam sank into the water past her shoulders. The cold air was rather brisk against her wet skin.“I hope so, but it has been quite silent over there the entire time. I hope they’re not trying something sneaky.” Loke remembered Colel’s concerns about Balan and also had her own about Votan trying to peek in on Colel.“I doubt they would be that stupid. But then again, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised. We could always check to see that they’re behaving.” Cam suggested.Loke and Colel both looked at Cam, startled. They were both against it, but Cam waded over towards the wall. “It really wouldn’t be too hard for me to see through any of the spaces.”Loke started for the steps. “I think I’m going to head back to my room.”“Wait for me, I’ll go with you.” Colel started to follow her.Cam didn’t want to be the last one left in the bath and started to follow after Colel. “Don’t leave me alone here!”On the men’s side, Votan was concerned about the extended silence from the other side. “How can they be so loud one minute and it’s been dead silent for a while now. Do you think they left?”“We’ve all been here for a while, so they might have.” Blu played with the wrinkles on his fingers.“Perhaps we should consider heading back ourselves. It probably isn’t wise to spend too much time in here.” Dias was acting his part of the concerned doctor. He was concerned about everyone, but in this instance he wasn’t too concerned about the temperature difference and was simply using it as an excuse to leave.Morning arrived faster than anyone wanted it to. Loke was up all night going through as many scenarios that she could fathom and she was tired, but not any more than usual. She didn’t exactly know what Saal’s plans were for them, but the amount of new information she had at her disposal was helpful for planning several strategies. Her leg was feeling a lot better after the previous night and wondered if Colel’s arm had any improvement. Separated and in enemy territory, there wasn’t an optimal opportunity to meet as a group and discuss meeting Saal before the messenger she sent came to retrieve them. One by one they left their rooms and started down the stairs.“The Empress said there would be eight of you. Now that all of you are present, I will lead you to her palace. I would recommend refraining from unnecessary discussions and I am not permitted to answer any questions at this time. Empress Saal has prepared a large banquet for your visit and wishes that you look favorably upon her country.” The messenger didn’t say anything else, but turned and led them out the front door.The path to the palace was long, but felt even longer by the silence and the cold, empty streets. People were still peeking out of their windows and the tension in the atmosphere was quickly rising. There was a figure waiting near the gates and given their size, it didn’t take anyone long to realize the figure was Betti.The messenger approached Betti first and spoke sternly, giving Betti no room to debate. “The Empress has informed me that your contract with your previous employer is to be terminated and that she will compensate you for your efforts, as failed as they had been. She will be in touch.” He led the group past a dejected, but silent Betti and through an elaborate gated area that lead past the palace walls and into the snow covered courtyard.Loke turned to watch Betti walking off with a slouch and dragging his feet. She felt some pity towards him, but given that his job was to murder her and Magnar, she was a bit relieved they wouldn’t have to worry about anymore. What caught her attention the most was the person she saw running up to Betti to comfort him. Magnar grabbed her to make her keep up with everyone, but she was more than certain she saw Winter at Betti’s side.Inside the palace, the messenger passed them off to a guard who directed them into a large waiting room. It was mostly empty beside a throne at the end of the room on a raised portion of the floor.The walls had several portraits of the empress and likely previous rulers, but Blu’s blood ran cold when he looked at the one portrait and he froze in place, staring at it. When he dropped to the floor, everyone else turned to look at him and noticed the painting. The painting showed a younger version of what looked like Saal, but the small child she was holding looked strikingly similar to Blu.“It seems you’re able to appreciate art. Although, I can’t say that particular painting is my favorite. I’ve thought about taking it down so many times, but I didn’t want to insult the painter’s skill.” No one heard Saal approach them from behind until she commented on the painting.“What does this painting mean?” Loke spoke for Blu. She’d spent the night preparing for Saal and found the ability to be in her presence without losing herself and pushed it off as false confidence. But she worried that others might not be able to do the same.“This one was painted by one of my lovers about fifteen years ago. Coincidentally, he was supposedly the god of creativity, but he wasn’t creative enough to see through the trap that I set for him. It was a shame, since Batz was quite a handsome man. But unfortunately, I was stuck with that child, so I left him with an orphanage. So, when I saw this young man,” Saal bent over to touch Blu’s shoulder, “I instantly knew that this was Batz’s child.”“You killed the father and dumped the child? What kind of monster does that to their family?” Cam never understood how a mother could abandon their own flesh and blood for their own ambition. She found it unforgivable.Saal stood and sneered at Cam. “I’m not a monster. I was simply working to achieve my goals. But I see he’s grown up just fine. I suppose his father would have been pleased to know that his move to die in order to save the kid wasn’t entirely in vain. Although, the gods seem to have provided me quite the opportunity to try again. But I digress. Eliminating one loose end from my past isn’t nearly what I had planned for today’s visit. It seems that the priestess has taken issue with my methods and wishes to discuss them.” Saal turned and sat on her throne while Loke followed her to the base of the steps below her. “Let us have this discussion, then. Perhaps if we can come to an agreement, we can have a party after.”Loke took notice of Saal’s monologue referencing the gods but disregarded it for the moment. She opted to be as straightforward as possible to avoid any miscommunication. This was not the time for careful diplomacy; this was the future of her brethren. “Why are you having Biyeho killed?”Saal sat back and folded her hands. “You are quite direct and straight to the point. I admire that. But there are several reasons that this situation can be beneficial for both of us.”“I already know who you truly are and I see no benefit for myself in this situation. I am requesting simple answers. Please answer my question.” Loke was thinking clearer than the day before and was starting to find her confidence.The others watched from where they stood and were also surprised at how succinct Loke was with Saal. They were used to her over explaining and generally matching any superfluous lingo that other leaders tended to use. Though their manner of speaking contrasted, their tone matched. The animosity between the women only continued to build as they continued talking.Saal shifted, relaxing her head in her hands to signify her boredom. “Then, if you know so much, don’t you already know my reason?”“I wish to hear it directly from you.” Loke wondered why Saal was stalling but the delay worked in her benefit as well. She was certain that Cam already evaluated the area.“You are surprisingly firm in your words, but I sincerely doubt that will be enough to elicit anything from my lips. You’ll have to try harder, priestess.”Loke clenched her fists at her side and took a deep breath before standing taller and revealing what she knew about the empress. She wanted Saal to say it herself but it wasn’t likely to happen. Instead, Loke settled for getting Saal to give her confirmation. “You deceived your way to your position as empress and are continuing to deceive other nations. Under the influence of the god of deception, this isn’t a difficult task for you. But I will ask again, what is your purpose for eliminating the Biyeho?”“You are well informed. But I am just as informed. I know that you’ve yet to achieve your full goddess abilities and have no elemental control. Joviix has lovingly told me about your curious attack that made him relive his past trauma. That was quite cruel of you to do. But don’t expect that to be effective on me.”“You have yet to answer my question.” Loke repeated.“Dias, what’s going on? Why won’t she answer Loke?” Votan whispered to Dias, not fully understanding the situation.Dias glanced at Votan at his side before refocusing on Saal. She had barely moved and, compared to the day before, Loke was solid in her conviction and also stood firm. “Saal is trying to pull the conversation in a different direction as a distraction tactic. It’s taking a lot for Loke to keep control of the narrative. Saal likely has a lot of power at her disposal to deceive every one of us, but as long as Loke doesn’t falter, it’ll be fine if one or two of us succumb to her deception.”“None of us can afford to let anyone be deceived.” Magnar quipped at Dias before stepping forward in front of Loke. He was growing bored with the exchange between the women and wanted to move onto whatever Saal had planned for them. “Can we put an end to this back and forth? It’s not getting anywhere. Can we just agree that whatever your reason for killing followers of Biyeho is, it probably isn’t a good reason? We just want you to put an end to it.”Everyone looked at Magnar with bewilderment and Loke wore the same expression of terror she had when he burst into the meeting in Tohil. Once he said his peace, all eyes moved to Saal to see how she would react.Saal sat up straight. Loke had been direct, but her choice of words was still carefully crafted. He was speaking to her as if she were a common peasant and it stirred her building anger. “You want me to put an end to it? I haven’t killed anyone. There are plenty that would be willing to kill on my behalf but I haven’t asked a single person to do such a barbaric thing. Though, perhaps I may have orchestrated a few accidents along the way, but nothing substantial of what I’m being accused of. Even my beloved Batz only had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the right time. But all of you are in the right place and I would like to kindly ask you all to call an end to your field trip. Even this gentleman here said he wanted to go home. You,” Saal stared hard at Loke, “should stop stringing them all along on false hope.”“I’ve never forced any of them to come with me. I’ve made it quite clear that they can go about their own business at any time.” Loke was doing her best to keep her rage buried deep. She knew Saal was trying to push her to the edge to make her lose composure and become more vulnerable. She wanted to scream but she also wanted to run as far away as she could. It was too late to do either.Saal doubted anyone would willingly walk into her throne room and yet, seven people somehow had the mettle to follow the priestess to their deaths. “Really? Then why haven’t they? Haven’t you issued promises you could never fulfill?”“Actually, she hasn’t.” Magnar interrupted again, hoping to reduce some of the pressure Saal was putting Loke. “We have a contract, sure, but she has offered me an out several times. She’s also given me a lot of things that her money could never pay for, so I’m already thankful for everything she’s already done for me.”“And if I hadn’t asked to tag along, I would have never learned about my past or met the most beautiful girl in the world.” Votan had come to join Magnar and Loke. He wondered if he was the most resistant to Saal’s influence and wasn’t feeling as much of the tension in the air as he did yesterday.Dias was the next to join beside them. “I initially came along out of curiosity about who they were but have stayed because I am more interested to see how far we can go.”Saal was starting to become inpatient when Cam and the twins stood up next.Colel stepped forward, feeling encouraged by Votan and Dias. She blamed Saal for the struggles her and Balan had been facing. “While it’s been a bit of a burden with Votan’s constant praises, I’ve learned so much from everyone and I no longer intend to hide who I truly am from anyone, even if mother and father insist to the contrary. But they have become the way they are because of you and I intend on getting my kind, loving parents back instead of the cruel people that they have become.”“Me too. What’s the fun in pretending to be someone else when you can’t enjoy being yourself? I want to play with all the kids in all the countries and let them know its ok to be themselves.” Balan stood confidently beside Colel.Cam stood behind the twins, resting her hands on their shoulders. “This group has shown more heart and strength than all the battles on the battlefield I encountered. The desperation to live for someone else is much more powerful than that of self-preservation. Whatever your influence in those other countries has been, it has weakened everyone’s hearts, Tumben and Biyeho alike.”While Cam was talking, Blu managed to get to his feet and stand on the opposite side of Loke. Knowing he was struggling with the revelation of his past, she took his hand and held it tightly.“I spent my entire life in an orphanage because I thought my parents were dead. After what I heard today, I still consider that to be true. One day I’ll learn more about my father, but as far as I’m concerned, I never had a mother. I had the warmth of the priest and priestess in Teo and the smiles of the friends in that orphanage. When I met Loke and Magnar, I learned what it was like to be part of a family and I learned more from Dias than I ever could have imagined I would have learned here. If you weren’t so selfish I wouldn’t have been able to have found my place. I should thank you for that”Saal scowled and stood sharply. She wasn’t having any sway over any of them and they even took control of the narrative. Even the one she sensed she would be able to influence the day before was standing against her. She called out for Joviix who stepped out from a door behind the throne.Joviix entered and bowed to Saal at her side. “My love, how may I be of assistance?”“Joviix, if you could be so kind as to remove these unsightly travelers from my palace. I don’t have much use for a pair of incomplete gods and their friends and it seems that this discussion isn’t going to get anywhere.”Saal returned to her throne and watched as Joviix drew both swords. He slowly made his way down the stairs and settled on Magnar as his target. “Once I eliminate you, my beloved will be able to find happiness without anyone meddling in her affairs.”Magnar blocked his strike and Loke took a few steps backward, looking for a place that she could stay out of harm’s way. Blu took her hand and started towards the back of the room to get her away from the fighting, but were headed off by soldiers. Dias sank a few scalpels into them before they could attack but they were quickly replaced with even more. Soldiers flooded into the room, surrounding them, blocking the way to any possible exit. They had no choice but to fight.Joviix laughed as he unleashed a flurry of attacks at Magnar. There were no openings for Magnar and he was barely able to defend against the barrage. Cam dispatched a few nearby soldiers and blocked Joviix’s attack with her broadsword.“Magnar, go find Loke.” Cam’s eyes focused on Joviix while she gave her command. “I’ll play with Joviix.”Magnar saw a smile creep across Cam’s lips and knew she was looking forward to a rematch. In the meantime, he struggled to see through a sea of attacking soldiers for Loke and found her being shielded by Blu and Votan with Dias nearby. He heard Saal’s command to her soldiers to focus on the priestess and worried they would overwhelm Votan before he could reach her.With Colel’s assistance, Balan was able to reach a side wall. Tipping an expensive looking vase off of a pedestal, he climbed it to get a better view of the room. Colel did her best to knock back anyone coming for her or Balan. It still stung to take full impact with her left arm, but she fought through it. When she was feeling overwhelmed, she attempted to hold them back with a wall of fire. It was her first time trying her powers and the initial burst was immense, causing many of the soldiers to keep their distance.“Oh, nice work, Colel!” Balan called down from the pedestal.“It wasn’t supposed to be that big, but I’ll take it! What’s going from your view?”Balan scanned the room to find the remaining members of the group. “Cam’s going all out on Joviix. She looks like she’s having so much fun!”Colel shoved another soldier away with a kick to the groin for good measure. “Everyone else?”“Loke is between Votan and Blu. Dias is near them, but only Votan’s really made for close combat, so it looks like they’re struggling. Blu isn’t even using his gun to zap people anymore I think. Hard to tell. Magnar is fighting through the crowd, but he’s mostly just being swarmed.” Balan paused and launched an arrow past Magnar’s face to intercept a soldier approaching behind him. “Saal’s just sitting on her throne, watching.”“So, we just stand here and fight an endless stream of soldiers? Should we aim for Saal?”Balan aimed an arrow toward Saal and a shiver ran through him. “She just looked at me like she dared me to fire.”“Then fire it!”Balan let the arrow loose and it stopped in midair before it could get close to Saal and fell to the ground. “She has some sort of shield. My arrow won’t penetrate it!”Sandwiched between Votan and Blu, Loke felt useless in this fight. If anything, she was a liability for everyone else. She managed to slow a few soldiers that were aiming for Votan enough to push them away, but after the third soldier, the charm she had etched Timop’s symbol into snapped. The only effective defense she had was now completely gone without the time or space to draw another.“Loke, what should we do? We’re surrounded.” Electricity arced from Blu’s finger’s as he hit a few surrounding soldiers’ armor, knocking them down.Votan spat blood on the ground as he punched the soldier that hit him. “Want me to weave up and slice the ice queen?”“No! If she dies before releasing the deceptive hold she has over everyone, we won’t be able to reverse it.” Loke ducked under a swinging sword and picked up a loose one from the floor in desperation but dropped it when she found it too heavy. She needed a plan.“Are you kidding? How are we supposed to convince her to do that?” Votan knew this was going to be a rough day, but Loke was now suggesting the impossible.“She won’t be convinced, but I can convince the god. But to do that, I need to separate the souls.”Votan had seen Loke do unusual things but this was beyond anything she had talked about before. “Do what?! How do you plan to do that?”“I have an idea. It’s risky and a minimal rate of success, but it’s our best option right now. Can you get me closer to her?” Loke couldn’t see over endless stream of soldiers and was entirely disoriented. Even if she could crawl under the soldiers, she had no idea if she was going in the right direction.“The entire city is nothing but soldiers for me. You may kill all of them and more will still come.” Saal was taunting the group from her throne, enjoying watching them wear themselves out.Votan grunted at Saal’s declaration. “I’ll try. Can you keep up?”“I’ll try my best.”Balan noticed Votan blowing a few soldiers back with wind and leading Loke through the path towards the throne and shot an arrow at the floor in front of Votan to catch his attention. Votan stopped, Loke nearly hitting him, though Blu bumped into her. Forming an arrow completely out of water, Balan fired it at the invisible shield. Water splashed across the surface revealing a tight meshwork of threads that was keeping Saal protected from the battle. Balan hoped that would keep Votan from running into it at top speed.Votan noticed the dripping threads and snorted. “I guess we were too busy to see that happen. Loke, you got another plan?”“I need to make direct contact with her.” Loke ducked a sword that was thrust toward her. “Blu, can I use your gun? And do you have any blank pellets?”“I do. But I thought you couldn’t use it.” Blu handed her the gun and a pouch. “There should be a few in here”“Thanks. Votan, can you find Magnar?” The only way around the barrier was likely under it and Loke knew after what he did on the cliff he could get her to the other side.Using a soldier as a springboard, Votan briefly got himself higher than the oncoming soldiers and spotted a patch of dark blue. “Found him. He’s not too far from Cam and Joviix.”Votan and Blu fought their way through the crowd until he nearly met the sharp end of Magnar’s scythe.“Votan! Sorry. Wait, why did you bring Loke up this far? You should have gotten her out of here.” Magnar blocked a sword and Votan pushed the soldier back.“Ask her.” Votan nodded at Blu. “Let’s go find Dias. He’s on his own.”“Dias is just fine.” A soldier said behind them. Dias had picked up a few pieces of fallen soldiers and had been wearing them to protect himself and been following the trio to keep extra soldiers off their backs. “But we should support Colel and Balan. Leave Saal to Loke.”“Why didn’t you leave?” Magnar wanted to pick her up and run out the door with her but was still blocking attacks from Saal’s guard.“We couldn’t get out. But I need to get to Saal - preferably undetected. Can you get me under that?” Loke pointed to the dripping threads.“I can get you underground, but I don’t know about doing it undetected.” Magnar looked around and found an area that looked like a hole might not be easily noticed and started back towards the bodies of fallen soldiers. “What are you going to do when you get through?”Loke followed Magnar, trying not to trip over anyone. “It’s a rough idea and I don’t even know if it will work. I plan to pull deception out of Saal directly. I’ll have to try and stop the entire room, including you all. If I fail, she will kill me. Tell everyone that I truly enjoyed traveling together. For you, if you go back to my house, that locked room leads to an underground cellar where you’ll find more than enough for your payment. If you return my pendant, that will be enough evidence to Edras that I’m gone.”“You can tell everyone yourself and you can pay me when I get you home.”Loke huffed. “I plan to. This is just in case!”Soldiers had spotted Magnar in an open area and started heading toward him. He quickly opened a hole for Loke to drop inside. The path continued to extend while Loke was inside, but the hole she fell into nearly closed. She hoped she wouldn’t suffocate and crawled down the growing path.Saal was enjoying the devotion of her soldiers and occasionally looked to see if the priestess had been defeated, but she mostly watched Cam and Joviix since that was closest to her and much more exciting than watching trapped mice try and scratch their way out. As long as her soldiers kept her visitors busy, she didn’t have to worry about Loke’s technique that made Joviix relive his past and it would be a matter of time until their downfall.Loke reached the end of the hole and dumped Blu’s pellets on the ground, looking for a blank. She used her ceremonial needle to scratch Timop’s symbol on the pellet and pierced her thumb, coating the symbol with blood. It was a small offering of her own blood but it was all she had time and access to. Dropping the pellet into the gun, Loke held it up toward the ceiling and fired. Pulling herself out of the hole, she found the entire room frozen in place. She knew time was limited and took another deep breath as she approached Saal, slipping the needle into her. Loke was working against time and at less than optimal conditions for ritualistic activities, but she had to try anything could. Everyone came all this way for her, regardless of their reasons and she wanted to give them a safer place to return to.Stalled time ran out before Loke was able to pull Saal’s soul out from her body. Defensively, as Saal was able to move, she sank an icicle into Loke’s chest. She gasped and coughed, blood spattering onto Saal, but she continued her mantra through the pain and lost breath. Stumbling backwards, Saal’s soul was now in Loke’s hands.Saal’s soul was a pale blue orb and felt cold to the touch as Loke held it. Black tendrils wrapped around it and entangled amongst other tendrils. Desperately, Loke tried different incantations but each one only made the tendrils wrap tighter around Saal’s soul. She was struggling to breathe and struggling to pull deception away from Saal.The room fell silent and still as everyone noticed Loke and Saal together. Stunned, no one lifted a sword to fight and stared at the queen and the priestess seemingly having pierced each other. Dias was used to having to react in shocking situations.“Colel! Burn the threads. Blu, come with me.” Dias ran toward the women. The icicle pierced Loke completely and blood was dripping from the tip of the icicle and onto the floor and he worried he wouldn’t be able to save her.Colel reached the barrier and burned through the threads easily and joined everyone as they headed in Loke’s direction. Distracted, Joviix was knocked out by Cam and any remaining soldiers stood aside to watch.Struggling, Loke continued to try and separate Deception and Saal but was losing consciousness. She fell to her knees, but refused to give up.“Colel, can you melt this?” Dias had Magnar hold Loke upright and put his own hand on her back to heal the wound as Colel’s body temperature was enough to melt the ice.Loke coughed more blood but continued to plead to deception despite constant wheezing.Despite the pressure Dias and Blu held against her wound, Dias was straining to make any progress. “Loke, you need to stop talking. Your lung collapsed and you’re bleeding too much. I can’t heal you if you don’t stop. You’ll kill yourself.”Loke ignored Dias as she managed to pull the soul out of Deception’s grasp. She pulled the needle and returned Saal’s soul to her body. Between desperate gasps for air, Loke offered the souls of the soldiers and her own blood to undo all the veils of deception that Saal had created before she collapsed.“You’ve gone to some great lengths, priestess.” A voice echoed in the darkness.Loke was surrounded by nothingness and only heard a voice that sounded like a combination of several male and female voices speaking together as one. She was no longer in pain and everything felt quite calming. “Who’s there? I can’t see anything.”The voice laughed. “There’s nothing to see. Well, unless you want to watch your friends try to save your body. I don’t have much control of that, but I could easily show you anything that you fantasize seeing instead.”Loke realized who owned the voices. “Deception. I’m sorry I had to be so forceful but you left me without much of a choice.”“That’s right. But unless you were offering me your soul, I wouldn’t have gone gently. And since you’re on your way to becoming a different goddess, I don’t have much use for it.”“So what is this place? Why are we here?” Loke tried to feel around her but felt nothing. Even her feet that stood firmly in place didn’t actually have anything tangible beneath her.“It’s hard to explain this place, but let’s just say you’re not quite alive, but you’re not yet dead. But given who I am, the question to you is whether or not you believe me.”“Just say that I do, for whatever it’s worth.”The voice hummed briefly before continuing. “I brought you here because I’m required to give you an explanation. Once you fully become a goddess, you’ll understand our nuanced history together. But in this particular instance, I intended on using Saal to make me the supreme god. Strong enough to rule all of the rest of them. Gods can’t kill other gods, it’s forbidden. But they can be weakened. If we reduced the amount of Biyeho, the usual strong gods would be powerless and through the Tumben, they would believe that their singular god was me. It was quite a dream.”“That’s a flawed plan. No matter how much you would convince people to believe in you initially, they wouldn’t necessarily continue that way. You would ultimately lose all of your believers and have gone through all of this for nothing.” Loke was disappointed and expected gods to be smarter.“That is a concern. Not every plan is perfect. But when you reached out to me to deceive the Kabrans, I was reminded at how much fun I could still have toying with people. Even though Saal’s plan would have been quite favorable, I couldn’t ignore all the blood you spilt and offered up for me. And the blood of a priestess is always extra sweet. Second to the blood of a god. Since you are somewhere in between, it piqued my curiosity. ”“So because of my offerings, you severed ties with Saal?”Deception exhaled. “I let you pull us apart, yes. Her soul is in no shape for me to take over, but I’m sure I’ll find another suitable vessel. She’s still got quite the power from the ice spirit, so you still may need to keep that in mind.”“That explains the icicle through my chest.” Loke paused briefly. “Can you remove all the deception that she initiated?”“You mean the trail of important leaders she’s got wrapped around her finger? I’m afraid some of them weren’t my doing, but their own weakness to her beauty. The king and queen of Tohil should be easy enough to let go of, but that fool she’s had by her side for a while was only partially influenced by me. As for the young man in Caax, I didn’t have to do anything at all.”“What about Edras?” Loke worried about the other countries, but her own still took precedence.“Edras? Oh, that silly man that thinks he’s already king. He has his own ideas and he has been encouraged by the things going on near him. I never had the opportunity to meet with that one, so your on your own with him.”“That’s disappointing,” Loke muttered to herself. Taking a painless breath, she addressed Deception again. “Then, do you agree? Please don’t lie to me.”“Let me show you something first.”A bright green light manifested in the darkness. It looked similar to the soul Loke pulled from Saal, but besides the color being different and more vibrant, the casing around it was a bit different.“You see, this is your soul. The bright green part, anyway. The clear part around it that looks a bit like glass is the god of knowledge. But you knew that was happening, right?”Loke was careful to make sure she wasn’t being fooled into something nefarious but kept listening.“If you look carefully, inside the glass is another space. It’s practically clear, like water, but there were seals that divided it into three. Two have been unlocked and the other is still waiting for the key. You won’t fully transition into a goddess if you don’t unlock the last section.”“Why are you explaining this? I already know that I have more to do if I wanted to become a goddess.” Loke was hesitant to finish her trials and been debating not pursuing it at all.“Ah, but you have no choice. Well, you do in regards to timing, but the choice isn’t to become a goddess of your own volition or not. You’ll no doubt find the final trial if you survive. But, if you wanted, I could easily drop this precious soul onto the marble floor out there and watch it shatter. Then you’ll be nothing. Not a priestess, not a goddess, not even that tidbit you keep hiding from everyone that you’re a queen.”“I’d rather not die here if I can do something about it. What else is it that you want?” Loke wasn’t sure what was left to offer. She realized Deception wasn’t lying to her and was somewhere between life and death. No matter how far she reached out to touch her own soul, it never seemed to be obtainable.“It’s only a trifle of a thing. Before you become a goddess and lose your priestess title, which you will since you know it’s of a conflict of interest; you will perform one last grand ceremony for your people. You can have the ceremony for whatever you want, but you also must make a grand offering to me. Those pesky gods like protection and prosperity are used to the grand fanfare. When I opted to help out with that one in Kabra, I couldn’t help but think of how it would feel if it were dedicated to me instead of simply having me on the sidelines. So, a grand fancy ceremony under whatever guise you wish, but there better be a glorious offering to me. And you know that you can’t deceive me.”“A ceremony for you, but asking for whatever it is that I wish?” Loke summarized, understanding how Magnar must have felt translating her explanations to everyone else.“Essentially, yes.”Loke paused, thinking for a moment. “I might have some ideas. But before I do this, you need to reverse the deception in all of Itzam or I will ensure that I won’t be able to perform the ceremony. And of course, I need to survive today.”“I’m not keeping you here. I’m just keeping you company while your friends work. But it’s a deal. No lies.”“Then how do I get back if you’re not holding me here?”Deception was silent, but her soul slowly drifted into her hands. She could see everyone around her under her feet, but the remainder of her surroundings was still pitch black. She carefully looked at the orb. It was warm and bright, but she could see the separate layers that remained as a clear space between the green and the outer glassy shell. She thought about how ice cold Saal’s soul was and assumed it was from the spirit of ice. Loke held her soul close to her, embracing it tightly. The darkness seemed to bleach into whiteness and she lost all awareness.Dias and Blu were working desperately hard to close her wounds and stop the bleeding. Once Dias had managed to close the hole in her lung from the back, Blu set forth to stitch what he could of her skin and bandage her back before he rolled her to over to close the wound on the front. As Colel tried to remove some of her clothes but keep her covered, she noticed a pendant around her neck she never saw before.“Dias, do you know what this is? It looks really familiar, but it’s a bit scratched up.” Colel held it up to get a better look.“It looks like it deflected the icicle from piercing her heart and pushed it to the side to her lung instead. It probably saved her life.” Dias looked over the medallion a little more carefully and lightly chuckled before focusing his attention back on her wound. “Magnar, you’re aware of that pendant, right?”“I’m sure she’d rather not have us talk about it.” Magnar stood to the side, not wanting to get in the way. He was worried but trusted Dias and Blu to do what they could for her. He chided himself at not questioning her plan and led her right to Saal unprotected.“Given her current status, I would suggest that we discuss it.” Dias glanced upwards at Magnar.“Discuss what? Is that really important?” Balan was assuming it was something to do with her being a priestess and he hadn’t been able to have a clear look at the pendant since Colel, Dias, and Blu were crowding her.Frustrated, Magnar grunted and ran his fingers through his hair aggressively. “Never tell her I told you. In fact, if you never mention that you know, it’ll be all the better. But that pendant the royal seal of Holom. Loke’s the absent queen.”Everyone except for Dias, froze and looked at Magnar.“Unbelievable, right? So, just pretend it never came up.” Magnar started to pace, upset that he broke his promise but hopeful that Loke would be able to yell at him about it later.“I shouldn’t have called her strange” Votan was staring at the floor, not really sure how to process the new information.“You shouldn’t have, but not for just that reason.” Cam was a little shocked, but she had been wandering about with a prince and princess that were trying to keep their secret. At least Loke had been better at hiding her royal status than the twins.Colel and Balan seemed to process the news quickly and agreed that they didn’t need to mention anything. “It isn’t like Colel and I weren’t doing the same thing. She was just better at it than us.”Blu’s hands slowed to a stop. He looked the most upset about Loke than anyone else. “Did she not trust me enough? I thought we could talk about anything.”Magnar stopped pacing and leaned down pat Blu’s head like Loke often did. “Blu, don’t get upset. She didn’t want anyone to look at her differently and I think she worried that it would impact your relationship with her the most.”Blu wasn’t sure if he believed Magnar, but it did make sense. He probably would have found himself uncomfortable around her and wouldn’t have been able to let himself get close to her. He went back to helping Dias, even though he was suddenly tearing up. If they couldn’t keep her alive, then it wouldn’t matter what he knew and so many more people would be upset about her loss.The remaining soldiers were rushing to take care of the unconscious Saal and Joviix. They largely ignored the people they were just desperately fighting. Saal was their empress and leader. Without her they had no guidance. A few wanted vengeance, but it seemed to them that Saal had gotten her vengeance herself.Dias stopped trying to heal Loke and sat back on his heels. “She’s still alive. She’s struggling to breathe, but if we can keep her stable, she might pull through. It’s up to her now.” Dias looked around the room and noticed the soldiers fussing over the Empress and the Ri. He didn’t want to stay longer than they needed to, but he didn’t want to risk moving Loke in a way that would cause more damage.Taking a gamble, Dias approached one of the soldiers that had examined Saal. "I know this might be rather presumptuous of me, but would there happen to be a stretcher or something that we may be able to use to transport our friend?"The soldier looked at Dias and leaned backwards to look past him at Loke. "She's lost a lot of blood. She's still alive?""Barely, but I think if we got her to a different place, she might fare better. It looks like your Empress will be alright."The soldier shrugged. "She's stable, but aside from a small cut, I don't see other injuries. We were just following orders, but I feel like something else was compelling us to fight so much harder. There were eight of you and like, a hundred of us. And I think a lot of our guys over there are still alive."Dias looked around the room. There were dozens of unconscious soldiers and a lot of blood staining the marble floor. Every few moments there was a grunt or a moan from someone regaining consciousness. "You should take Saal and Joviix to your physicians for evaluation. I will tend to some of the wounds here.""After you fought us? Why would you do such a thing?""I've spent a lot of time cleaning up war wounds. Plenty that I've created myself. But if you could get us that stretcher, it would be appreciated.” Dias was exhausted and knew he was overexerting himself, but his sense of duty drove compelled him, much like he assumed it did for Loke.The soldier didn't know how to respond but he called for the medics that were peeking into the room. While the soldier ordered them to take care of Saal and Joviix, Dias went back to the group. "I'm going to help them tend to the injured here. Blu, you're welcome to assist me, if you'd like, but I understand if you don't.""Why would you help them? They tried to kill us." Votan didn't like the suggestion of helping his enemy.Dias frowned. "I help them out of duty. It was a hard lesson to learn on the battle field, but when someone is no longer able to complete their duties and are discarded, they need someone to care for them - even if it's only a doctor cleaning their wounds and patching them up with the barest of materials. It’s not only physical help, but mental support. I don't expect you to understand.""What are we going to do with her? We can't leave her here but to leave Zipan now would surely kill her in this state." Magnar watched her shallow breathing and while he knew what broken ribs felt like, he didn't know what it was like to lose complete lung function."I asked for a stretcher for her. If the medical team can take her some place, go with her. She'll want at least one familiar face to wake up to when she does wake up.” Dias felt the fatigue starting to hit but ignored it. “If anyone else would like to stay and help me, I'm sure it would be appreciated by some."Colel looked down at Loke and clenched her hand. "I'm going to stay with her. I'm sorry Dias.""I'll stay and help. I’ll look for someone in charge and help make sure we can keep some sort of order." Cam stowed her swords and looked around for anyone that might be taking leadership initiative."Thank you, Cam. Blu, will you aid us?"Blu was conflicted. He wanted to help Cam and Dias, but he wanted to stay with Loke. He hated thinking that Saal was the one that gave birth to him but abandoned him so far away from home. He knew the soldiers didn't have anything to do with it, but still felt a lot of resentment. He remembered Dias telling him how he would visit the enemy camps and help at night and how Blu thought it was admirable. He was now in a similar situation and wanted Dias to not look down on him. "I'm not sure I'm going to be very helpful, but I will try.""You won't need to push yourself, but every little bit is helpful." Dias surveyed the rest of the group. He didn't expect anyone else to volunteer, so he started into the room. "If there's a change, please come and inform us."It wasn't long before a medic arrived with a stretcher and they carefully carried Loke out of the throne room and to a private guest room where Magnar, the twins, and even Votan watched over her. Loke slept a dreamless sleep. When she woke, she found herself in an unfamiliar place and struggled to move. Turning her head, she saw Blu’s head laying on the bed beside her and when she turned the other way, she saw Magnar leaning against the wall, drooling. She wanted to laugh but it was painful just to breathe.Blu felt movement and lifted his head. “Loke! You’re awake!” His excitement startled Magnar awake.Loke wanted to talk but she found it painful. She was confused and looked at both of them in desperation.“Nice to see you come back to us.” Magnar moved the chair closer to her side. “I know you have a lot of questions. Blu and I will explain as much as possible so don’t worry about trying too hard.”“I’ll go get Dias.” Blu quickly stood and disappeared.Once Blu was gone, Magnar’s expression grew serious and he placed the pendant into her hand and closed her fingers around it. “I’m sorry, Loke. I had to tell them. But your pendant saved your life. But the good news is that I don’t have to deliver it to Edras.”Loke clenched her hand around the pendant and stared at the ceiling. Breathing hurt but it seemed like the rest of her body still could function. Straining, she shifted, trying to sit herself up. Dias came into the room as she started to move and with Magnar, helped her sit more upright.“Looks like my patient is improving. Did she say anything?” Dias sat in the chair that Blu had vacated.“She tried but it probably hurts.” Magnar suggested as Loke nodded in agreement.Loke clapped her hands together and opened them, hoping to ask for her book. Magnar and Dias turned to Blu, who reached under the bed and handed it to her. Slowly, she pulled a paper out of the back and started to write.
Where am I?
“Saal’s palace in Zipan,” Dias answered. You successfully separated her from Deception, so she’s a lot nicer than before. If anything, she’s been extremely generous and apologetic.”
Where is everyone else?
Blu frowned and looked to Magnar, who answered. “Colel wanted to stay but Cam took the twins home to see if there had been any effect on their parents. Votan tagged along, but said he was going back to Wiil. He said something about needing to sort things out. He didn’t specify. Colel promised she would write as soon as she returned home, especially now that she knew where she could send her letters.”Loke stared at the paper and started to cry, causing even more pain in her chest. Slowly, she scrawled one last line on the paper before dropping the pencil.
I didn’t get to thank them. But to you three, thank you for everything.
Blu picked up the pencil and took her book away. Dias handed her a glass with a turbid liquid inside. “Drink it. It might make you sleepy again, but it should take away some of the pain. If you’re strong enough, in a few more days we can take you home. Saal and Joviix promised passage through Zipan and Yopa. We can handle anything that confronts us in Caax.”Loke wiped her eyes and drank the bitter beverage. Blu and Magnar tucked a few more pillows behind her. She smiled as Blu explained how Dias and Cam took over the room for them to help all the injured soldiers. When she fell asleep listening to his story, Magnar took the pendant from her hand and tied it around her neck.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Holom City was the most industrialized city in all of Itzam. The high population caused congestion on the city’s confusing street design but was further exasperated by the addition of a high number of tourists and pilgrims clamoring to see the final ceremony by the last remaining Biyeho high priestess. News of her retirement spread quickly through Holom and to remaining Biyeho communities in other countries.The ceremony was still another half day away, but people were already filling the audience space. Many of the people wore the nicest clothes they could afford and weren’t bothered by having to stand tightly packed against one another in the open field. While most people were pushing towards the front for an optimal view, near the back of the crowd a disheveled man in glasses and a dirty brown coat watched over the crowd from atop a tree stump behind the field. He was joined by a teenager that wore a hooded jacket and kept his hands in his pockets."Do you think they'll come?" The teen inquired."Do you think they wouldn't?" The man laughed at watched over the crowd.It was a few more hours of watching people fill the field when another young man dropped out of a nearby tree and approached the man and teenager. "I bet you guys didn't miss me.""No, I can't say that you were first on our minds, Votan." The disheveled man laughed."She's coming, right? You weren't using that as a ploy to get me here, were you, Dias?” Votan asked excitedly. “Blu, good to see you too.""Relax, she said she was coming, but not for you.” Dias assured him. “She's coming to see the priestess. And I'm still surprised you decided to return to Wiil after all. We all expected you to follow her into Tohil."Votan scratched his face nervously. "Well, I wanted to learn a little more about my family. And I couldn't exactly go to Tohil with her anyway.""It sounds like our favorite thief is growing up." Dias smiled at Votan.Votan sneered. “I’m not a thief anymore thanks to you lot. The orestone pieces she let me keep didn’t hurt either.”Blu nudged Dias and pointed to the side. It was quite evident that the man and woman were not accustomed to navigating large crowds, but the girl and boy that accompanied them led them through the crowd with ease.Votan’s mouth dropped in astonishment. "She's grown even more beautiful in this past year! I didn't think it was even possible!"A boisterous voice chimed in behind them, nearly deafening the trio. "I expect this to be even grander than the one in Markaj! But will we even see anything this far away?"Cam stood beside Bixun, dressed in casual clothing that caught Votan off guard since he didn’t remember seeing her in anything but armor. "I couldn't come without my brother. He was so impressed with her last ceremony, he would have exiled me from Kabra if I hadn't brought him along. It's good to see you three again, and it looks like the Dryden family made it after all."Votan was happy to learn a new thing about Colel and realized he didn’t know anyone else’s surnames. "I never knew their last name was Dryden. But then again, I'm not sure if I even have one.""Given your history, it isn't a surprise. I also wouldn't have wanted to advertise myself after all the damage that was caused." A hand rested on Cam’s shoulder and she looked up to her brother who was shaking his head at her to drop the topic.The Dryden family reached the growing group and while the girl shared hugs with most of them, briefly pausing at the young man that politely bowed and kissed her hand. She sighed and ended up giving him a large hug while her brother slapped everyone else’s hands. The king and queen were awkward, but seemed to politely introduce themselves and apologize for any inconveniences they faced in Tohil."We're just missing one, right? Is he going to come?" Colel looked over the crowd that was pushing tighter and tighter by the moment."He never replied to any of my letters, so I don't know what he's been doing. Dias and I stopped on the way and he wasn’t home." Blu pulled his hood back a little to look over the crowd. He was taller now and it allowed him to see over more of the crowd."I know he wanted to go home and tend to his farm, but I can't imagine he would miss this. I wonder if something happened when he brought her home." Cam twirled a segment of orange hair around her finger. She wasn't used to wearing it down, but going without her eye patch was a welcome change.Dias agreed with Cam. After everything they had all been through, that was the last person Dias expected to skip this event. "We parted ways in Caax, so he would be the only one that could answer that."The man in question was present, but he wasn't making himself visible to anyone. He knew her routine and that she would survey the crowd to look for familiar faces. Because of that, he knew exactly where he wouldn't be found. While he wanted to reunite with everyone, he didn't feel ready to relive those days quite so soon. Religious relations in other countries had been doing rather well, considering, but Caax was still a difficult place for the few remaining Biyeho and leaving for this ceremony was made complicated by another harassing visit from Palen. Magnar had climbed the hillside behind the platform and found a good view of the entire site. He would easily be able to see her final performance and he could even see everyone way in the back, but this also afforded him a view of the area the priestess used to prepare before the ceremony. He noticed her, but forced himself to look away out of respect for the process. He watched the reunion at the back of the field and tried to imagine what they could be discussing. He received letters from several of them and never replied as they often reminded him of actions he failed to take and the regret that left behind. Even the personal invitation from the priestess was locked away in a box. It read like a standard invitation except on the back side was an over-explained request for him to come. When he read it, he could hear her fully confidant diplomatic tone and laughed, but in the end he added it to the box with the other letters.As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, the large din the crowd was making dissolved into a murmur before it fell silent. The priestess approached the platform and addressed the crowd in the common language and the original language of the gods. Her hair had grown considerably in the past year, but her scars had yet to fade away. They were invisible to the crowd, but they were noticeable for anyone in close proximity.During the ceremony, a dark mist seemed to linger in the surrounding trees, but as she finished her offerings and final remarks, it dissipated. The priestess looked over the crowd as they applauded and spotted her old friends in the back. She nodded gently at them, but felt a wave of disappointment as one person wasn’t among them. She looked to the sides and even up the hill as she stepped away from the platform, but saw no signs of him anywhere. She returned to the area beside the temple that she used for to prepare for the ceremony and cleaned the blood off her arms while she peered through the bushes at the crowd that lingered behind. She felt a wave of melancholy, knowing that this was her last ceremony. Once the crowd had gone and she had changed, Loke went down into the field to greet her friends.Bixun’s boisterous voice was the first to reach Loke’s ears. "That was pretty awesome, little lady. Not quite as impressive as the one you did for us, but I'll take it. Why the melancholy face?""It was a little different of a request, Bixun. But I do appreciate you coming. All of you, really. I wouldn't have been sitting here washing off blood with rainwater if it weren't for all of you. I can't begin to thank you enough.” Loke bowed apologetically to everyone, regretting having taken so long to properly thank everyone."We should be thanking you. The kids tried to explain what happened, but I can't quite wrap my head around it. I humbly apologize for the inconvenience I caused you in Tohil and thank you for keeping my kids safe." King Copan had already written her an apology but was relieved to be able to do it in person."Your majesty, you don't need to apologize. But Colel has kept me up to date with the improved relations. I'm quite impressed how far you've all come in such a short time." Loke pulled away from Tohil’s king and to the boy in the hood, pulling it back. With a great smile, she hugged him tightly in the way he used to hug her. "I can't believe how much you've grown! You're so much more mature already!” She stepped back and narrowed her eyes. “Dias isn't teaching you anything shady, is he?""I wouldn't dare..." Dias replied, feigning insult."No, Dias isn't teaching me anything bad." Blu smiled at her in return."Good. But I miss you, so I would like to know you're alive from time to time. Even if it's short and a quick note to say hello." Loke pouted at Blu.Blu pulled his hood back up, embarrassed. "I'll try. We travel a lot, so it would be hard for you to write back to me.""I’ll find a way.” Loke turned her attention to Votan “How was Wiil?""I've been learning a lot in Nono, but I don't think I'm living up to their expectations. I might move on from there soon.""Expectations are their problems. You need to be yourself. I'm sure your parents would have only expected that from you."Votan wasn’t sure he agreed but crossed his arms and stared at Loke. "You're being awfully different today. Almost motherly. What's going on?"Loke sighed. "For the first time in a long time I feel fully relaxed. Tomorrow will bring different pressures that I can ignore for the rest of today. Unfortunately, I'm forced to be pleasant and polite all the time. No matter how much I would love to just be Priestess Loke, I have to put on the Queen Sacniete crown.""Wait, this priestess is the queen? How did neither of you tell us?" Copan looked sternly at Balan, mostly."We didn't mention it? I thought we did." Balan looked away knowing full well he never disclosed such information."You guess it correctly when you had me in custody. But currently, only the few of you know this information. And Edras, but I doubt he's going to tell anyone anytime soon. I'm retiring as a priestess, so I will mostly be focusing on things I should have been doing for a long time. I’ve made my people wait too long.""So then, there won't be any high priests or priestesses?" Colel looked a bit dejected, thinking that it might lead to a natural downfall of the religion.Loke shook her head. "Not right now, no. But there are regular priests and priestess that are starting to practice again outside of Holom and there are a few promising candidates. In time, some of them will obtain that title. I will still be available to offer advice.""I hate to be the one to bring this up, but it is quite the obvious question that everyone is avoiding. Did Magnar not come?" Dias turned to look at the crowd trying to funnel into the narrow road that led back to the city.“You’ve been wanting to bring that up the whole time, Dias.” Loke snorted at Dias then frowned. "I didn't see him at all, no. To be honest, I don't think he would have come all this way to see me. But I thought he might have come to see all of you and disappear before I finished.""We didn't see him at all. Did something happen? Votan said he didn't know anything." Colel was prying, but she felt personally insulted that he didn't come. He was probably the closest geographically and it upset her to see everyone from all corners of Itzam minus one.Loke looked toward the east at the darkening sky. "Not particularly. We argued a little over his payment, but once he was satisfied, he left. He's probably put all of this behind him and is busy working. Agriculture seems to be doing well in Caax this year, so I would imagine he's quite busy.""He's still a jerk for not even writing to tell us he wasn't coming." Colel crossed her arms. Magnar had been watching the reunion from the temple. He couldn’t hear them but he had a sense about what they were discussing. While Loke was down in the valley and at the far end of the field, he traced the symbol on the doorframe of the temple. There was a brief rumble as the door slid open, giving him access to the temple. Inside, he followed the straightforward halls to the inner chamber. The mural sparkled as if it were just painted, though what it was trying to depict he couldn’t even guess. Despite the lack of human presence of this temple, it was spotless and he was certain this was the final location of the three places where time stood still. He sensed something else different about the room, but knew that wasn’t something meant for him. Quietly, he left the temple to begin his return trip to Caax. He had a farm to tend to and voices in his head to ignore.