[b Chapter 9
[i “I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” – Og Mandino]]
It was shortly after Moonrise when Sadie returned to the inn, Ryan in her arms, and Michael and Halii following behind. Her injured eye made navigation difficult; luckily, the darkness of the forest had taught her to rely mainly on sound, and they’d made it back to Fudlosgi without further incident.
Kiki had not yet returned by the time they walked inside, allowing Sadie a sigh of relief. They had time to figure themselves out, now. “Stay downstairs and get cleaned up,” she suggested, shifting Ryan to her back. “I’m going to lay Ryan down; I’ll be right back.” Sadie did not wait for a response and headed upstairs, entering the room Kiki offered them and laying Ryan down in the bed he’d occupied earlier.
Sadie laid a hand on Ryan’s forehead, grateful that he was only mildly warm. Using the pent-up fire magic and the Sun Scythe must’ve worked the heat out of his system. The female gently pried the Sun Key out of the unconscious male’s hand and placed it on the side table – she’d find a chain to put it on later. After scanning him further, she was grateful that, other than a few scuffs and some dirt, Ryan was unharmed.
[b “Haliiva Tsuva Hathaway, what in Umbra’s Chambers happened to you?”]
The female winced at the yelling downstairs; she had a distinct feeling that if she didn’t start explaining something, the two downstairs would end up more banged up than they already were. Sadie moved the hair out of Ryan’s face and smiled at him before rushing downstairs. She narrowly avoided a wall she didn’t see in her new blind spot and groaned in frustration. “Kiki, you’re-”
“By Ma’qui’s eyes, all three of y’all look like hell!” Kiki looked frantic as she ripped off her headdress. “What happened? Start talking!”
“Kiki, calm down!” Sadie raised her arms in defense. “It looks worse than it really is, I promise. We got into a tangle with a creature a bit bigger than us, but it’s dead and we’re not.”
“Well thank the gods for that.” The purple-haired werewolf took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. “How did this happen?”
“Your daughter managed to find the Sun Key in some ruins.” Sadie pointed upstairs. “The key is upstairs right now, and it’s the reason Ryan got so sick so quickly. Halii must’ve activated it somehow, and in doing so, it awakened his fire magic. My guess is he didn’t know how to use it and it didn’t know where to go, so it overloaded his body.”
Kiki nodded. “I’m glad it wasn’t something worse. How is our resident Hunter now?”
“He’s asleep but doing much better. His temperature has gone down significantly; the mild fever is likely due to exhaustion.”
“Is he as banged up as the rest of y’all?”
“No.” Sadie chuckled nervously. “He’s a little dirty and scuffed up, but he missed most of the fighting. He has some minor burns on his hands from using fire magic, but those’ll go away by tomorrow at the latest.”
“Right.” The elder werewolf still looked exasperated, but more relieved that the group was still alive. “Off topic, I couldn’t find much back at the rescue, but maybe what I did scrounge up could be helpful.” From the satchel on her shoulder, she pulled out a green folder. “Thorne dug up a few documents from the old castle library, and this was all that seemed relevant. One of the pages has sketches of the Moon Pendant and the other two artifacts.”
“Thank you, Kiki.” The redhead flipped through the folder, skimming the first page. “I’ll transcribe it for Ryan so he can get up to speed.”
“Didn’t study up on his Ancient Andalan?”
“I’m afraid not. He’s been a Hunter his entire life; there’s never been a need to.”
“I s’pose that’s fair.” Kiki turned to Kiki, who was looking over Michael’s leg. “Haliiva, how are your wounds?”
“Fine. They’ve already stopped bleeding.” Halii glanced at her mother briefly. “I’ll wrap them after a bath.”
She nodded. “And yours, Highness?”
Michael shrugged sheepishly. “The shoulder wound isn’t as bad as I thought, but Halii says the leg wound is pretty deep. I’ll be fine, though, don’t worry.”
“Good to hear. Halii, show Michael where to find the medical supplies, and then both of y’all should get some rest. I’m gonna help Sadie here with the wound on her face and then get some shut-eye myself.” Kiki pointed towards the stairs. “Move along, now.”
Halii rolled her eyes. “Yes, mother.” Without waiting for Kiki’s response or Michael’s protesting, she grabbed the prince by the sleeve of his shirt and dragged him towards the stairs.
“Halii, wait, slow down!”
“Quit whining, Michael. You’re fine.”
Kiki crossed her arms as the two disappeared upstairs, shouting at each other. The sound muffled itself as a door shut. “I swear, I don’t know where she gets her attitude.” She shook her head. “Never mind that. How are you holdin’ up? That wound on your face looks pretty nasty.”
“It stopped bleeding some time ago, but it’s throbbing something awful.” Sadie shrugged. “Still, it could be worse. The dried blood has it fused shut – I’m not sure if I can still see out of it or not.”
“I’ll help you clean it up at least.” The purple-haired werewolf wandered over to a drawer, pulling out a hand cloth and a bottle of antiseptic. “Come sit over in the light, okay?”
Sadie did as she was told, sitting in a chair Kiki pulled out for her. “How was your trip to Old Danau? Did you run into any trouble?”
“Not really. Saw a couple of wannabe bandits tryin’ to rob some poor sap on the road, but they turned tail once they saw me comin’.” She carefully started wiping around the wound. “There was a hell of a sandstorm brewin’ in Old Danau when I got there. Thorne was tryin’ to keep the kids from goin’ outside when I showed up. I yapped at ‘em a bit and they stayed in line.”
“Sorry to make you go all that way for a few papers.” Sadie bit back a hiss as the dried blood pulled on the wound.
“It wasn’t for nothing, at the very least. Those papers do look rather important.”
She hummed. “I wonder if Michael will have a reaction to his artifact if its activated before we find it.”
“Perhaps you’ll find something when transcribing the notes. I didn’t really read them, so I won’t be much help.” She stepped away. “Okay, you should be able to open your eye now. Do that for me and tell me if you can see out of it.”
Sadie nodded. Deep in her heart, she was anxious; though she knew she’d make do without her right eye, it would put her at a disadvantage. Pushing the thoughts aside, she slowly and painfully opened the damaged eyelid. Darkness. “Nothing. Not even light.”
“The outer damage was extensive – I wasn’t sure. Will you be all right?”
“Yeah, I should be. My left side is the strongest, and I practically trained in the dark for the first year after leaving home. It’ll take some adjusting, but I’ll be fine.” She stood up, placing a hand on the raw wound. The torn area was rough and ragged, so she turned to the small mirror on the wall to investigate. Her pupil was already beginning to cloud over, but her iris and the white of her eye were fine, only irritated from the wound. The claw raked over the eye and toward her ear, stopping just before it hit. It was bothersome, but it was the risk of her job. “I need a bath and some sleep.”
Kiki frowned. “Are you going to tell Halii and Michael that you’re half blind now?”
Sadie shook her head. “No. I’m sure they both suspect it’s not the same, but it happened because I was protecting Michael after he lost his weapon. If I told him right now, he’d just feel guilty. He’ll find out eventually.” The redhead yawned. “Good night, Kiki.”
--
[i Maiyalaan Vasile: Hey, Ry. Sorry it took me a while to reach out; I ended up backtracking to Castle Town to look for something. Your Hunters are super dedicated – it’s starting to come together out here. You should really thank them when you come home. Anyway, I’m leaving Awyr in the next few moments – I’ll let you know when I reach Old Danau so you can update me on your location. I hope you’re well. And remember, I travel faster than you!]
The ‘ping’ from his D-Tech is what summoned Ryan from his deep slumber. It took him a few moments to recall the events of the previous day – the Sun Key, using fire magic, the Fusion – but he took a deep breath as he realized he felt practically normal. As he picked up his D-Tech to check the notification, he winced at a slight stinging sensation in his fingers. Burned? Is this normal? The burns weren’t bad enough to deter him; he’d ask Sadie when he had the chance.
Sadie. The message temporarily forgotten, he turned to locate his partner. His heart soared when he realized she was asleep beside him. She faced away from him, snoring softly. He winced as he scanned what he could see of her body – she was battered and bruised, but she wouldn’t complain about it to him. Not unless she had to. He couldn’t see her injured eye from his current spot, but he guessed it didn’t look good.
As he carefully slid off the bed, intending to get a closer look at her face, he noticed Michael in another bed across the room. The teenager was also still asleep, mouth slightly agape and stretched across nearly the entire surface of the mattress. Ryan chuckled softly; he was still a kid, after all. His left leg was outside of the blankets and bandaged, his pant leg lifted slightly to show off the area. Michael looked like hell, too.
Ryan frowned, shaking his head, and made his way to Sadie’s side of the bed. Instantly, his frown deepened. Though the right side of her face was partially hidden, the fresh scarring he could see was deep. He knew that if the eye wasn’t lost, it was permanently damaged.
“Oh, Sadie.” Ryan touched the uninjured side of her face gently. He knew she wouldn’t be inherently upset – Hunters had to be prepared for anything, this being no exception. He was upset for her; she’d managed to keep herself from being inflicted with any permanently disabling wounds for the past nine years. Though he knew she would continue to push with all the power she had, he knew she would seethe about it to herself. Ryan wouldn’t hear about it, no matter how he pushed.
The redhead stirred under his touch, her good eye opening first, and the bad eye following at a slower pace. Internally, he winced at the milky color her iris was already starting to take, hoping Sadie couldn’t tell. “’re you okay?” Sadie mumbled sleepily.
“I’m fine.” Ryan’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. “Just worried about you.”
She yawned, pushing herself up. The too-large shirt she wore – likely one the pair had been sharing for a while – hung loosely on her frame. “Don’t be, I’m all right.” She fixed herself into a cross-legged position. Her injured eye followed the good one at a slightly-delayed pace. “Nothing we shouldn’t be prepared for.”
Ryan sighed but nodded. “Quiet down a bit, yeah? Michael’s still asleep.”
Sadie winced. “Sorry.” She moved her sleep-ruined hair out of her face. “What’re you doing up so early? You’re usually the last one awake.”
“My D-Tech went off.” He stared blankly at his partner for a moment before sighing. “I forgot about the message. Could you grab my D-Tech for me? I left it on my side of the bed.”
“Yeah.” She grabbed the watch and glanced at the screen. “It’s from your sister.”
Ryan lit up. “Finally.” He tried to sound annoyed but was more relieved than anything. He scanned the message quickly, humming affirmations to himself. “Castle Town is coming along well, apparently. She’d also left Awyr and is heading our way.”
“So it’ll be a while before she reaches us.” Sadie bit back a yawn. “Should we wait here for her or move on?”
“Well remember, she’s a seasoned traveler. She does travel faster than us. However, I want to leave it up to you.” Ryan shrugged. “Do you feel you can move on?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. If Michael can handle travelling on his injured leg, we can slow our pace, but I’d like to head out sooner rather than later.”
Ryan suspected Sadie wasn’t going to tell him whether she was really prepared to venture out, so he simply nodded. She’d get more stubborn with an argument. “Right, got it.”
“I’ll go get ready, then.” Stretching her limbs, Sadie reached out to grab Ryan’s hand. She squeezed it firmly for a moment before pulling away. “When Michael gets up, we can let Kiki know we’re leaving and head out.”
“All right.”
She said nothing further turned away, grabbing some clothes, and closing herself into the small, attached restroom.
“Stubborn,” he finally grumbled. [i “When Michael’s awake, we can let Kiki know we’re leaving.”] He felt bad for mocking her, but he was similarly irate. Why wouldn’t she allow herself to relax while they could?
“Michael’s awake.”
Ryan looked back, seeing the young male roll out of bed. Michael was careful with his injured leg, keeping it from touching the bed if possible. His short hair made it so Michael avoided bedhead; what Ryan would have paid to see what it looked like before the haircut. “Oh, you heard that, did you?”
Michael chuckled; the sound was tired and dry, but full of humor and life. “I heard you mock Sadie as soon as her back was turned.”
“Well, she’s being stubborn.”
“Sounds like someone else we know.”
The Hunter couldn’t seek a valid argument, so he just sent an ice-cold look Michael’s way. The younger just raised his hands in a ‘I surrender’ fashion before bending down to retrieve his clothing. “I’ll head to another room to change. You should consider the same, and maybe a hairbrush. You look like a hedgehog.”
Ryan tossed a pillow Michael’s way, the redhead squawking as the pillow hit him, and laughing as he quickly limped away. He sent a quick message to Maiya, letting her know they’d be leaving Fudlosgi, before grabbing his things and joining Sadie in the restroom.
--
“Y’all really are welcome to stay longer, if you’d like.” Kiki’s voice was soothing, a frown etched in her face. “Two of ya still have fresh wounds, and Ryan looks like he could use more rest.”
Sadie shook her head. “Michael said his leg is feeling better, and, well…” She shrugged. “We’re going at a slower pace to give Ryan’s sister ample time to catch up, but we really don’t have time to wait around.”
She sighed, relenting. Kiki seemed to understand that the redhead was stubborn. “I understand.”
“Thank you so much for everything.” Ryan bowed to her. “You’ve been incredibly helpful, and we will forever be grateful.”
The werewolf blushed. “It’s my pleasure, really. If y’all really must go, take care of yourselves, ya hear? And don’t forget that y’all will always have a place here, whether or not y’all can pay.”
“Thanks, Kiki. We really appreciate it.” Sadie shifted her pack, so it sat correctly on her belt. She looked confident, but she felt uncomfortable as half of her sat in the dark. Should she be pushing herself so soon? She couldn’t turn back now. “Are you two ready?”
Ryan nodded. “Whenever you are.”
“Yeah.” Michael shifted his shoulder bag. “Say good-bye to Halii for me, Kiki. I was going to do it myself, but I couldn’t find her.”
“She’s probably sulking – whether she’d admit it or not, she probably liked y’all.” The purple-haired female giggled. “I’ll pass it along. Y’all take care now.”
“Bye.” With only a further moment of hesitation, Sadie pushed open the door and stepped out into the warm, dry morning air. Midsun was Sadie’s favorite time of day, no matter the location. The sun was still at a low level in the sky; if they were still in Corwynt, the sparkling dewdrops would be shining on the grass. The temperature was already quite high, promising a hot day ahead of them. “Kiki gave me some papers last night, Ry?”
“Hm?” The brunet made an interested noise, kicking up a cloud of dirt as he walked. “Can I see them?”
“I have a few more pages to transcribe, but I got most of them done last night.” She dragged Michael back slightly and fished through his bag, retrieving the folder with the documents, and handing it to Ryan. “You’ll know when to stop. I also have some notes in the margins for some harder to explain parts.”
Ryan scanned the first page. “I shouldn’t have a problem reading this as we move, seeing as we’re not speeding along.”
“Just don’t trip over anything,” Michael teased. “Only one of us needs to have a useless limb.”
“I’m a bit more coordinated than-”
[i “Wait!!”]
Sadie stopped in her tracks, Michael and Ryan following suit. When the redhead turned around, she was surprised to see who was behind them. “Halii? What are you doing here?”
The black-haired werewolf was panting; she must’ve barely caught them. “Don’t… don’t go yet…” She straightened herself out, a serious look in her bright red eyes. “I want to go with you.”
“Halii…” Michael frowned.
“You can’t just go with us, Halii.” Sadie crossed her arms. “We’re not just travelling Andal because we want to.”
“I know that!” Halii spat. “I want to help you find whatever it is you’re looking for. I might not be as skilled as Mom or Dad, but I’m a Hathaway, too!”
Ryan frowned. “You’re just a child. We can’t-”
Angry tears began streaming down the young werewolf’s face. “I’m not just a child! I’m a werewolf fully capable of defending herself! I know Ancient Andalan, and I can recite more lore than any of you lot! I’m just…” She looked away, wiping the tears from her face. “I’m not doing anything with my life. I want to learn more. I want to grow, like my parents did. I know I’ll inherit the Rescue someday, and I’m fine with that. I just don’t want to inherit the Rescue without exploring the world and learning everything I can! If you guys fail, there won’t even be a Rescue to inherit!”
Sadie sighed. “You’re quite the handful, you know?” She placed her hands on her hips. “Does Kiki know you’re trying to come with us?”
“Well… no.”
“
Halii!”
“I’m often gone for days at a time anyway; it won’t make that much of a difference.” Halii then pointed to her D-Tech. It was scuffed, but usable. “I can also call her if she starts to get worried.”
“Fine, then.”
“Fine?!” Ryan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Sadie, are you sure about this? She’s too young to-”
Sadie glanced at him. “She said she’s capable of taking care of herself; werewolves do learn to fight earlier than human Hunters. She also sounds like I did when I left home… I can’t say no to that.”
Halii lowered her head. “I know I’m causing a lot of trouble, but… I really feel like I could be a lot of help. I’m good at tracking ruins; that’s how I found the Sun Key.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Ryan sighed. “Let’s get going, then, before I have the chance to change my mind.”
--
“Are we almost in Lludw?” Michael was practically dragging his bad leg behind him as he wiped sweat off his forehead. “I don’t care that my leg hurts, but I’m fairly certain the sun is trying to kill me.”
Sadie snorted. “We’re not even close, kiddo. What’s wrong? I thought you liked the heat.”
“It’s not even that bad.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “It’s not even Sunhigh yet – just wait.”
“I’m surprised to hear you say that.” The redheaded female glanced at Ryan. The elder had yet to even break into a sweat. “The fire magic must be giving you resistance; you’re usually the first person to complain.”
Halii stopped in her tracks, cracking her back. “Why don’t we stop for a bit? There’s a watering hole nearby, and I want to redress his wound.”
“I second that.” The teenager shared a grateful look with Halii. “It’ll also give Maiya some time to catch up, won’t it?”
Ryan side-eyed Sadie. “It was your idea to leave so soon. What do you think?”
She glared at him but nodded. “We may as well, before we hit the next stretch of desert. The worst thing we’ll find out here are the Dark Bobcats and Midnight Coyotes.”
“Grewyn didn’t mention those.” Michael’s eyes widened.
“They’re not as troublesome as Risen or Night Foxes; he probably didn’t think about it.”
“Anything’s less troublesome than Risen,” Ryan added.
Halii snorted as she sorted through her messenger bag. “I’m not scared of the Risen. They’re desert zombies that can pack a mean punch, but only if they can gang up on someone by themselves. Those varmints don’t stand a chance with a group this size.”
“While that might be true,” Sadie retorted. “I’d rather avoid them all together while Michael’s leg is acting up. They’re sneaky, and Ryan and I have only encountered them once. We’re not experienced enough with them.”
Michael frowned. “I’m sorry that I’m holding us back. I should’ve been more careful.”
“We both should’ve been.” She touched the fresh wound on her face. “We can’t go back now.” Walking up to Ryan, she snatched the scythe off his back. “I’m going to scout the immediate area, Ry. Stay with them.” She dropped one of her daggers at his feet.
“Sadie, wait-” Before Ryan could try to argue, Sadie took off into the savanna. “Why my weapon? Stubborn woman.” He shook his head and picked up the dagger she left behind. At least he had a weapon. “How’s his leg, Halii?”
“It’ll be fine in a few days. It’s just irritated from being jostled around.” The werewolf finished wrapping the wound. “I’m not a medic, but it’d be a good idea to rest in Lludw for the evening and leave Danau in the morning.”
The elder nodded. “If I can manage to convince Sadie it’s a good idea, I agree. She’s exhausted, too; I might be able to wear her down.” Putting Michael and Halii in the back of his mind, he sat against a think tree and pulled out the worn folder. Though he’d attempted to read while walking, he’d had to help Sadie fend off a few Shadow Wargs along the way. Hopefully, with Sadie off hunting, he’d have some luck.
Michael didn’t want to sit around and do nothing, so he scooted closer to Ryan. “Can I see the papers that haven’t been transcribed? I can help you read them.”
“Sure.” He handed them over and began to scan the first page. “This one here goes over stuff we’ve already figured out; the Moon Pendant, the Sun Key, and the Star Cross.”
“Does it go into further detail?”
“Marginally. The Moon Pendant didn’t transform into a staff for the first Moon God – it looks like they used a Trident.” Ryan hummed. “Sadie’s handwriting gets sloppy here, but it looks like the weapons of the Gods change based on the soul of the user.”
“A scythe makes sense for you, then,” Michael chimed. “Why a staff for Sadie, though? She uses daggers, doesn’t she?”
“Well, yes, when she doesn’t take my weapon.” Ryan turned to Michael. “She’s actually quite skilled with them, too. Perhaps it’s because the daggers aren’t her choice of weapon.”
The prince cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Just that. She didn’t necessarily want to use a weapon when she joined the Hunters; she prefers magic. However, magic users are rare these days, and she wanted to avoid calling attention to herself. She already knew how to forge the saber daggers; she just had to learn how to use them. Took her about a year.”
Michael nodded in understanding. “The staff forged itself because she uses magic as her weapon. Since I haven’t fought a lot, what do you think mine will be?”
The elder Hunter shrugged. “I’m not sure. It looks like the first Star God used a spear.” He glanced to Michael. “Have you gotten anything from those pages?”
“Yeah, actually. It has some vague lore on the Galaxian Gods.” Michael pointed to the page. “This word here is Mtora, which means Moon in Ancient Andalan. Sores is Star, and Soria is Sun. Gox means god, and Goxeia means Goddess. Mtora Goxeia is-”
“The first Moon God was actually a Goddess.” Ryan nodded to himself. “Think it’s relevant?”
“I’m not sure. Like I said, it’s vague. We have their names, though.” He skimmed the page with his finger. “The Moon Goddess Luna, the Son God Solis, and the Star God Seren.”
After a few moments of silence between the two males, Halii plopped herself down at Ryan’s open side. “I remember reading something about reincarnations having to follow rules. Mom said the same thing when I asked her about it.”
“Rules?” Michael set the page down. “Such as?”
“I don’t remember them all, sorry. I do remember that they have to be the same biological gender as the first incarnation.” Her red eyes were clear and focused. “They also have to share pieces of the same bloodline. It doesn’t seem important, but it’s likely that the Star God Seren was the very first incarnation of a Sala.”
Michael crossed his arms. “The Galaxian Gods didn’t stay in Andal, though. How could Seren have been the first Sala?”
“It’s a technicality. I’d have to ask Mom or Dad to clarify it for me, but I think when the Gods’ first incarnations disappeared, their essence was spread throughout the world. When life was reborn, your ancestors would’ve been created.”
“That’s really helpful.” Ryan smiled. “Thanks. We know more than we did before. We can share this with Sadie when she gets back.”
“Share what with Sadie when she gets back?”
Michael jumped a bit, looking behind himself. Sadie had Ryan’s scythe carefully slung over her shoulder. “Oh, hey. Any luck out there?”
“Yeah.” She grinned. “Not as hard as I thought it’d be with my… new disadvantage. I think I’ll be all right.” Sadie folded the weapon and placed it with Ryan’s things. “What did you find out?”
“Why don’t we head to Lludw first and we’ll talk there?” Ryan suggested easily. “We’re sitting ducks for Shadow Beasts out here, and Michael could use another day of rest on his leg.”
Michael was taken aback by Ryan’s suggestion – hadn’t he said Sadie needed rest? Then it hit him – Sadie wouldn’t accept the offer if it was for her, but for someone else… “Right… Halii said it was starting to look better but I don’t think an extra day would hurt.”
“Oh, all right.” Sadie rolled her eyes but offered a small smile. “Do you think you can walk, or do you need me to piggyback you?”
“Shut up. I can walk.”
--
[i Maiya Vasile: Hey! Just letting you know that I made it to Old Danau – I traveled nonstop through the night to make sure I’d make it this quickly. Let me know where you are, and we can meet up soon!
Ryan Vasile: We’re in Lludw. Sadie needed to rest up – I’ll tell you when you get here – but if she asks it was Michael who needed rest.
Maiya Vasile: Uh, got it. Are you planning to stay in Lludw?
Ryan Vasile: I’ll stay if Sadie lets us. I’ll let you know if we move.]
Ryan turned off the screen to his D-Tech and glanced at the mentioned female. Rather than sleeping in, Sadie had woken early to continue working on the papers Kiki had given them. He’d considered arguing with her to get her to rest some more, though he feared pushing the issue may cause her to want to leave sooner. Considering she was at least at rest for the moment, he decided to let it go.
He wasn’t sure how Michael and Halii were doing; where they were a group of four, they’d decided to spend the extra gold on two separate rooms. A good idea, considering the younger two were arguing most of the night. It had left himself and Sadie in fits of laughter as they argued over anything they could think of; it had only ended when the nighttime groundskeeper scolded them around Moonhigh. At least, Ryan thought, Michael and Halii didn’t yell at the groundskeeper. The last thing they needed was to find another inn in a small town.
“Ryan, you’re still awake, right?” Sadie’s voice was quiet and gentle, natural for the Sunrise hour.
“Mm…”
“You should look at this. I found something.”
Intrigued. Ryan sat up and made his way to the small table Sadie was working at. His hair was mussed from laying down, though he paid it no mind. “What’d you find?”
“I overlooked it when I read through these the first time, but the documents have a passage on connecting the power of the God’s Charms. It says the three charms can be connected to form an all-powerful weapon, the weapon being what the leader’s heart chooses.”
“The original weapon was a mace. Whoever lead the Galaxian Gods in the beginning must’ve been a powerful warrior.”
Sadie nodded. “Maybe. There’s also some unclear text here, but what I’m gathering is that the other two Gods were sacrificed in some way to complete the original prophecy. She frowned. “The last one faded into stardust when the job was done, energy depleted.”
“Are you thinking that’s what we’re going to have to deal with?” Ryan clicked his tongue nervously. “We… really don’t have a lot to go on, do we?”
“No, we don’t. We’re only the second incarnation; we’re writing history as we live it. I’m hoping we don’t have to die, but…” She shook her head. “Anyway, it doesn’t say here who was the designated leader. We don’t know this time, either.”
“I hope we don’t have to figure it out the hard way. Are you going to tell Michael?”
“Of course I am. He’s a part of this too, teenager or not. He’d just get angry if we-”
“Sadie! Ryan!” The door to their room burst open, Halii barging in. She was breathing heavily. “I can’t find Michael!”
Ryan shot up. “What do you mean you can’t find him? He’s six feet tall and has bright red hair! How did you lose him?”
A growl rumbled deeply in Halii’s throat. “This isn’t the time for jokes, Ryan! He was in the room when I fell asleep and now he’s not there. His sword and his belt still are which means he has no weapons.”
“I wonder where he could’ve gone.” Sadie placed the files aside and stood. “Halii, I want you to check around town. Ryan, head out of Lludw toward Fudlosgi. I’ll check the desert/savanna area between here and Rradir. He probably hasn’t gone too far, but if he doesn’t have his sword he’s a walking target.”
“Right. I’ll find you or Ryan when I’m done in town.” Halii ran out of the room, her tail bristling.
“All right.” Sadie grabbed her belt and slipped it on. “Let’s go.”
--
[i “Michael… Sweet Michael…”]
[i That voice…] Michael felt a presence; warm and familiar. It roused him easily from his deep sleep, fogging his mind and clouding his thoughts. The voice sounded sweet and warm, wrapping sticky, sugar-laden tendrils around his heart and squeezing tightly. It was addicting, and he wanted more.
He moved silently as he left the room, paying his sleeping companion no mind. It was as if she didn’t exist; all he could focus on was the voice. The warmth it brought him, and the familiarity he felt. It reminded him of home. It felt like…
[i Mom.]
Michael could hear part of his brain shooting signals at him, alerting him of potential danger, but he tuned it out. He didn’t want to stop; he wanted to be happy. Didn’t he? He’d already lost so much; he’d give anything to see Kasara again. He ignored every red flag his mind continued to send him and kept going.
[i “Almost there, Michael…”]
Michael had crossed the barrier from Lludw to a rocky section of the desert when he heard the voice again. It sounded different this time, but it didn’t deter him. He still felt warmth spreading throughout his body and refused to let it go. He couldn’t lose it. Lose her. Not again.
“Who’s… who’s out there?” His voice carried throughout the darkness. “Mom? Is… is that you?”
He couldn’t believe how small he sounded; how desperately pathetic. He was calling out into the empty Lludw desert for a voice he wasn’t sure he’d even find. Still. He had to try. He couldn’t give up.
Not yet.
[i “What’s wrong? Tired of waiting?”]
Suddenly, Michael felt sick. The warmth was gone, replaced with an unease he’d only felt once before, back in Awyr Village. Had he been tricked by Shai? The magic didn’t quite feel the same; he knew it wasn’t the dark Puppet this time. “Who are you?!” He reached for his belt but hissed when he felt nothing. He’d left his sword behind. Idiot!
[i “What’s wrong? Did you forget your toys? Don’t worry, little boy.”] In front of him, a shadow materialized, and he hissed. A siren. The demonic creature had a human-like complexion, with beautiful long blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes. She had bat-like wings that stretched her entire arm span and sharp, pointed fingernails. “I know you miss your mommy, Michael – I can send you to meet her if you want.”
“How dare you!” Michael felt like crying out of pure rage. “You use my dead mother to lure me out here without my sword? You’re nothing but a spineless wench!”
The siren cackled softly. “You’re rather gutsy for a young man, but you’re just an overgrown toddler who never outgrew wet-nursing.” She lifted one of her hands, extending her nails into sharp claws. “Would you like to see mommy again? Your blood smells delicious, and I can’t wait to eat you up.”
“Get the hell away from me!” His heart pounded in his chest – there was nothing he could do except run. Michael turned to flee, slipping in the heavy sand, and landing with a soft ‘thud’. [i Dammit!]
“You’re not even going to try to resist me?” Her sing-song voice was beginning to make him dizzy. “I’ll send you to hell slowly, little boy!”
Michael closed his eyes and covered his face, bracing for impact.
[i “Michael!!”]
--
[i Where are you??] Sadie ran through the savanna, slicing easily through the Shadow Beasts as they approached her. She couldn’t see his footprints or feel his presence. Where had he gone? He couldn’t have just vanished.
When the savanna transitioned to desert, Sadie felt a shift in energies, and suddenly stopped in her tracks. Though she didn’t see anything immediately in front of her, she felt a sickening twist in her heart. Something dark lay ahead. The darkness was laced with tendrils of false hope, and she was stricken with the realization that Michael didn’t leave town on his own accord.
There was a [i siren in the area.] And that bitch had led Michael to the desert without weapons. He was defenseless.
She remained still and slowed her breathing, closing her eyes. Sirens used a sickening, cursed magic – she should be able to find her with careful channeling. Sadie felt the auras around her sink into her pores. Halii was still in town, and Ryan was wandering between Lludw and Fudlosgi. Nothing was wrong on their end thus far, and they were quiet; they didn’t quite grab her attention.
Suddenly, she felt Michael; fearful and strong, and a powerful, unpleasant tug. That must’ve been the dirty demon that was trying to take Michael from them. And Sadie would make her pay.
Opening her eyes with a sharp ‘snap’, she whipped her head around to the rocky end of the desert. They’re over that way. Michael was still alive. She would not fail. Not this time. Using wind magic to propel herself forward, she took off in a sprint toward a set of small sand dunes. Careful to avoid sharp rocks, she either wound around them or jumped over them if they were short enough.
As she approached, the sight before her caused her to gasp. The siren’s body bore black tendrils, wrapping themselves tightly around Michael’s head and making their way down his body. She wouldn’t be able to reach him in time. Michael would die. He would not become the great King she promised he would be.
Would it be her fault?
Just as Michael’s body began to completely disappear beneath the black, leeching tendrils, a great white light surrounded him, his brown eyes suddenly aglow.
Sadie heard the siren scream, as she stepped back, causing the tendrils to retreat. Michael was once again in view, but not for long.
The light focused itself into a harsh beam of light, coiling around Michael like a snake. With a great, blinding flash, the beam had transformed into a Leviathan. The serpent, fully formed, wrapped itself protectively around the prince, who knelt around the ground in great shock. His body remained alight, glowing alongside the great beast. Had… had he done this?
[i “You dare harm this Child, you foolish jezebel?” The Leviathan boomed. “Are you aware of the price that will be paid for this crime?”]
Michael couldn’t believe his eyes, nor could the female Hunter below. Both stared in stunned silence at the great being, waiting for the siren to speak.
The demon only screeched, irate that her prey had been taken from her. She remained surrounded by great tendrils, ready to strike again.
[i “It appears you have a death wish, Heathen. Very well.”] The Leviathan shifted slightly, lifting one of its great claws. The sharp scythes glinted in the early morning sun, fixing at the end of one of the sharp, pointed claws. Heaving slightly, the creature sliced down, a beam of light slicing out of the newly inflicted wound. The siren screamed in agony, the tendrils burning in the light before the demon dissolved into the air. The light faded, revealing that only the Leviathan, Michael, and Sadie remained.
“What..?” Sadie took a tentative step forward, feeling a furious protective nature from the great serpent that stood before her.
The Leviathan shifted so that it was facing Sadie, tense and ready for battle. It was worn out, but kept a stern look on the female below. Though Sadie was stronger than the siren, the Leviathan slowly relaxed as it realized that it felt not a devious nature, but that of the healing sort. She continued to slowly approach. “Michael? Michael, can you hear me?” The redhead did not answer. He was likely in shock, not that she could blame him. He was doomed to die and a dragon suddenly appeared. Sadie stared up at the beast, pleading with it. “Please, I need to get to him.”
The great beast stared at her a moment longer before unraveling its mighty form, allowing access to the prince in the center. The redhead then collapsed, his eyes wide and his chest rising and falling at an alarming rate. Sadie ran over to Michael, sending a silent thanks to the serpent as she kneeled to her friend. Cautiously, she pressed her forehead into his, rubbing his shoulder soothingly. “Michael? Michael, it’s Sadie. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. You’re safe now.”
In awe, the Leviathan watched as Michael became receptive to Sadie’s gentle touch and soothing words. In the background, it shifted as it heard voices approaching. The two were strangers, much like Sadie, but it couldn’t tell if it could trust them. The Leviathan began to slide closer to the newcomers in a slow, dangerous pace.
“They’re friends,” Sadie muttered soothingly, looking up at the Leviathan. “They are okay.”
Slowly, Michael calmed and shifted to a normal, upright position. Ryan and Halii, finally recognized by the Leviathan, ran up to them, lifting Michael’s spirits nominally. The Leviathan had settled greatly noticing Michael’s ease. [i “Your group is unusual, young Prince.”]
“I mean… yeah, I guess.” Michael looked anxious again but swallowed back a gulp. “Who are you exactly, though? You seem as if you know me.”
[i “I do not have a name, but I am a Leviathan. I was created as your guardian familiar by Lady Kasara. The feeling of protection goes with you, Prince Michael, to keep you safe and protect every Chosen hereafter.”]
“Mom… Mom created you?” Michael looked up at the Leviathan, its great snout pointed at the ground.
The serpent grunted. [i “Indeed. I can help you in times of great peril until you grow more, but for now, that is all. I will leave you now, but not without the blessings of the Great Ma’qui and Lady Kasara.”]
The blinding white light flashed again, and Sadie blocked her eyes with her arm. Michael, Ryan, and Halii followed behind her as the light enveloped the surrounding area. Once the light faded, Sadie opened her eyes.
Michael was once again on his own, but he remained upright and alert. “Michael?” Sadie’s voice was soft as she approached him. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” There was a slight strain to his voice. “I’m perfectly fine.”
As the sun started to rise, eliminating the pitch blackness of the night, Sadie pretended not to see the fresh tears streaming down the teenager’s cheeks. “Good. You’re getting stronger, kid.”
“Do you… really think so?” Michael looked at her. “It… doesn’t feel like it sometimes. Sometimes it hurts too much to be strong. What do I do then?”
She shrugged. “We’re working through our trauma, Michael. Those who don’t have it will fail to understand how it works.”
“I have days where it hurts too much to breathe,” Ryan admitted. “It doesn’t mean I’m weak. It just makes some days a little harder than others.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” The teenager smiled softly, wiping his face. “We should get back. I’m half-dressed and have no weapons.”
Sadie nodded. “That’s the idea. Let’s go.”
“Can I take a nap first?” Halii grumbled. “Since someone got hypnotized and woke me up early?”
“Nope,” she teased. “We must get going soon. You’ll be fine.”
“That’s not fair.”
