A Mess of a World: the Etched Stone

7.1) Alessida

Light glimmered down from the passageway, and blessed fresh air filled Alessida's lungs.

"Do you think you'll be able to get through wearing all of that armor?" She asked Damen, who seemed to be contemplating something.

The last thing she wanted was for him to get stuck in the passageway.

He looked up at it in uncertainty. "I'll be finnneee. But just in case... why don't you go first?"

Alessida cracked a smile as she turned sideways, forced to shimmy up the slim staircase. She held her breath as he followed after her, moving exactly as she had, and only exhaled when both were out safely.

He pushed the door closed and the entry shimmered before their eyes, before magically fading into a sturdy wall. "Weird." Alessida breathed.

"C'mon. We can meet back up with Sama and Zaki'a." Damen said, taking the lead. She obediently followed as he continued, "We're definitely going to have to tell them what happened here."

A shiver went up Alessida's spine as she thought about meeting Lorraine for the second time. The elf had been more collected than in the forest, but also angrier, like she wouldn't hesitate to sear your skin with her piercing red eyes.

Her story had also been sad... Alessida thought, her mind wandering back.

"It looks like Zaki'a and Sama aren't here." She said.

Damen frowned and looked around. "I'm sure they'll be here in just a few minutes." They waited for them, but after a few minutes he started to get antsy.

He paced the sidewalk in front of Alessida, mumbling to himself. "What if something happened? What if the guards did something to them? Zaki'a would have returned by now! We should start looking for her- them."

Alessida was more concerned about being boiled alive while waiting and just huffed at his concerns. She leaned against the house behind her and crossed her arms. "You should calm down. From what little I have seen of Zaki'a, I'm sure that she can take care of both of them."

Damen didn't seem to hear her or just ignored her, continuing with his pacing. He let out an exhale of relief when Zaki'a and Sama showed up. The former had a small trickle of blood coming from her nose, she had a satisfying grin on her face.

"Zak! What happened to you? Are you alright?!" Damen exclaimed, rushing over to her side and inspecting her face.

Alessida stared in confused worry. Did someone punch her in the face?

"We bring good news." Zaki'a said, swatting his hands away.

Sama's eyes were filled with excitement, and she too smiled from ear-to-ear. "Jade, you should've seen it! She was amazing! She brawled with one of the guards!" Sama informed them happily.

"What?!" Alessida and Damen said at the same time, exchanging looks.

Damen demanded answers. "Why? Tell us what happened!"

"We were given a chance to speak with one of the outside guards. He was in seclusion and I began to question him. He refused to give answers and then threw a punch at me!"

Zaki'a's words blurred together and her smile never faltered, "I hit him back and he said I was bullying him and went on to inadvertently say that this... spell... has been here for a month and he and several other guards were using it for their personal gain. Exploiting those affected, and accepting bribes to let visitors inside the city."

She clasped her hands together, "An admission! We are getting somewhere!"

"Oh. Well, we found some things out too." Damen said, and quickly explained what had happened at Lorraine's house.

"We still haven't figured out the cause of the magic. Lorraine said that she'd help us, but who knows if she will." Alessida pointed out.

They had found out several things, but none were relevant to the goal that kept her from getting to Spirit's Wood. She felt a strange need to go there. It had been subtle before, a hopeful desire, but now she felt that her life depended on it. Answers were just beyond her fingers.

Zaki'a's grin fell and she huffed. "We are closer than before, but you are right."

Sama then spoke. "Since we know about the fallen from grace guardys, can't we head to some top-notch official and let him know that we know?"

"Ebin has a king doesn't it? Don't all kingdoms?" Alessida asked.

"Well, yes, King Damil. But it's not that easy." Damen said. "Unless we have a written confession or-"

Zaki'a held out a piece of paper between two fingers. "Not a written confession," She grinned. "But I documented our conversation after the fact. I was even able to get the guard's name."

Alessida stared at her absentmindedly, not used to all of the smiling she was doing.

"So now what do we do?" Sama asked.

"Before we see anybody, I want to take care of this magical dilemma. This kind of magic is being generated, so the feeling should get more potent the closer we are. Thus we should wander until we find it." Damen suggested.

Alessida threw up her arms. "Why do you know so much about magic anyway?"

He turned crimson and cleared his throat.

"I agree with Damen." Zaki'a said, saving him. He shot her a grateful look.

"Ebin is big enough that if we split up we have more of a chance to find it. Damen and Sama can go North, by the higher districts. I will go in the Western working section and Jade will go East. Any objections?"

Sama humphed, probably wanting to go with Zaki'a, and Damen didn't say anything.

"I'm- you're making me go by myself? In this city?" Alessida spluttered in dismay.

Despite the humid warmth, the air seemed to grow colder and the sun would be setting soon. Nervousness and panic hyped up her nerves.

"You will be fine." Zaki'a told her.

"But it's getting dark!" Alessida pointed out. The older woman raised an eyebrow and sighed. "When it starts getting later we will all meet up at that inn." She pointed. "They will also have mages come and light the street lamps and guards will be patrolling the streets to keep trouble at bay. However that reassures you is up to you."

Alessida nodded, wistfully sighing. I wish we could wait until morning.

"Alright then, let's not waste any more daylight. C'mon Sama." Damen said. The two trudged off in one direction, Zaki'a going her own way as well.

"Oh sure, leave me to wander around this forsaken place." Alessida muttered under her breath, taking off in the direction she'd been told to go. She kept walking until she was far from the entrance.

She knew she was heading somewhere different once the buildings started to change from cozy to shabby. Tattered curtains hung in badly repaired windows in dimly lit apartments, making Alessida instinctively clutch her arms around herself.