The Broken Song

Chapter Nine

The smile slipped from her face. "Alright, that is a good trick. But still easy enough information to come by. Someone in town told you we were coming."

They spoke again, each new statement spoken by another voice.

"Is that what you think?"

"You believe it a trick."

"But it is not."

"The heavens wept when it knew you were coming."

"We have waited."

"We have bled."

"For the Vale and the Ralia to ask for the dead."

Lulu blinked, eyes moving over the figures slowly. "Right...Very creepy. That was a terrible rhyme by the way. Was it supposed to be a rhyme? I couldn't tell. Anyway," she clapped her hands together. "We're looking for something that belonged to Virmira Tanadall. So, if you could just help us out, we'll get out of your hair. Wait, is that offensive? Do you have hair? I'm only asking because you're all heavily robed and it's kinda difficult to..." Idelle elbowed her in the ribs. She hissed. "Ouch. Alright. Sorry. Geez. I won't ask. So, where's Virmira, then?"

"Ask your question, child."

"You're her, then?" Lulu pointed to a robed figured indistinguishable from the others.

"You think there is one?" another laughed.

"Or, that there's a difference?" A tremble through the earth and the nine figures in a circle disappeared on the wind as if they were no more than ash. Lulu took a step back as the ash twirled together and reformed into a single figure. "There is no them." Two figures emerged from the body of the one, more and more filing out until they encircled Idelle and Lulu. "There is no us. There is only..." The figures slammed together violently, shaking the ground, and forcing the lava in the riverbeds to slosh onto the charred ground. "Me."

"Great!" Lulu smiled. "So, I don't have to repeat myself a thousand times. I'm looking for something you supposedly have? The compass thingy that..."

"The Compass of Nine."

"Yes! That! I need it to..."

"I don't care. It is beyond you."

"Okay. Rude. You don't even know me."

"I know enough, and you are unworthy even to look upon the compass. Your companion, on the other hand..."

Idelle looked into the black depths of the hood. "There were thirty priestesses at one time. What did you do with them?"

A low growl from within the darkness. "I ate them."

Lulu extended an arm protectively in front of her friend. "Well, okay, then." She pushed her back a few steps, angling herself in front so Idelle was partially obscured. "Look, I don't care who ate who. I just want the compass."

"You are not..."

"Worthy, yeah, blah, blah, blah, but here's the thing. You're dealing with me. Just me. If you want something in exchange, I'll do it, but you're leaving Idelle out of it."

The priestess cocked her head ever so slowly, an assessing gaze coming from somewhere within. "Perhaps there is worth to you after all, Elusia Vale. True love is not easy to come by."

"Wait, I never said..."

"In exchange for the compass, I require the completion of a straightforward task. Go east of here to place known as The Fells. A great beast dwells within, a Shadow-Walker. It matters not how you kill it, but the heart you must return to me in one piece. When you return, you will do whatever I ask of you without any hesitation or questions. That is my price. Decide if you will pay it."

"Deal," she answered without a second to consider. Idelle gripped her by the elbow, a disapproving tut falling quietly from her tongue, but Lulu ignored her.

The bargain struck, the priestess bowed, separating once again into nine beings. Lulu took Idelle by the hand and led her toward the east. When they were far enough away that the chanting became no more than whispers on the wind, Idelle planted her feet and refused to go any farther. Lulu let out a small sigh, idly digging the toes of her boots into the black dirt that surrounded the area of the Doom.

"Lu, that was... You have no idea what she's going to ask of you. How could you agree to something like that?" Lulu shrugged. "What if she asks you to kill yourself or me?"

"Okay, I didn't think that far ahead, but she's not going to ask us that."

"How do you know?"

"Because that's stupid and doesn't get her much of anything, now does it? People with power only ever want one thing: more power. I'm sure whatever she wants will be to help her with her weird ritual thing, maybe dance naked a bit, pour blood on ourselves, and, bang, we're done! Easy peasy!"

"It's never that simple, and you know that," Idelle glared at her friend, her hands on her hips. She was cute when she was mad. "I'll help you. You know, I'll always help you, but just be prepared to pay a price you didn't expect. There's dark magic in that place. Nothing she asks of you will be for the good of anything."

"Concerns noted!" Lulu saluted her companion with a big smile. "Now, let's be off! We have a beast of some sort to kill, and a heart to take!"

"That's gross," a voice startled both women. Over the hilly landscape appeared two figures neither had expected to see. Duncan Fizzerweld and Isaac Pimperknell. They smiled and offered a small wave as Duncan cocked his head, one eyebrow arched quizzically. "You came all the way to the Doom in Svartalfheim just to get a heart? There weren't any viable options nearby?"

Lulu laughed, glad to see two kind faces again. "Nope. This was the only-est one. Wanna help us get it? I'm sure you two didn't trek all the way out here just to see what we were up to."

"Yeah, well, it's not like we could've stayed back there," Duncan shrugged casually, but both women could tell in his downward gaze and shifting stance that something weighed heavily on him. "The rebels attacking the night you left decided they needed to do more than just burn down the inn. The rest of the town's gone, too. Hindle and Gerd didn't survive. We barely made it out of there. It's either hire ourselves out as mercenaries now, or track down two lovely young ladies that could do with a little backup."

"What d'ya say, Dell?" Lulu looked over at her friend. "Should we keep these strays?"

"More the merrier!" Idelle smiled gently at the pair.

"So, where we headed, then?" Duncan looked at them.

"The Fells." Lulu answered, watching the color drain from their faces. "Don't worry. We lovely young ladies will keep you safe."

"Good," Duncan laughed. "'Cause you're going in first."