Beneath the Sunless Sky

Chapter Twenty-Five

—The Grave—

It had taken much too long to return. How much time had she wasted trying to find her way back to the city? Time didn't make any sense here. There was no day, no night, just an eternally dark sky. If she had more time to explore, more time to understand, she might have been able to figure out that time was not told by the passage of day into night but by the different sorts of creatures that were most active. But that was a trivial concern compared to what she needed to be doing. Just a few hours in the real world had been enough for the Grave to shift. When she returned, she found herself not near the city, but near an ancient ruined castle in the heart of the Dark Forest. She had heard something drawing nearing, a figure about to step out of the trees when Idelle had made a prompt retreat. Whatever still lived in that ancient castle wasn't her concern.

Her journey through the forest had taken its toll on her magic. As it was, she barely had enough aether to defend herself with a simple barrier. The forest was a wild and savage place, all manner of beasts and creatures attacking her when she strayed too close. Ori had always spoken of the Dark Forest with fondness. By her accounts, it was a peaceful place with wonders to behold. Yet, none of them seemed eager to see Idelle. They had all but chased her through the forest, even creatures that should have been docile, rising to fright at the mere sight of her.

The forest behind her, it had been a long trek over shifting ground to reach the preserved city once more. It had taken the rest of her energy just to try to keep the earth beneath her stable enough for her to nearly jog the entire way back to the city's limits. Once there, she had collapsed to her knees, panting from the exertion. Her legs were shaking, every muscle aching as though she had just finished the fight with Tal'Dovah and the Sorceress. It had taken every ounce of willpower she had to stand back up and make her way further into the city.

She took her time, unwilling to push herself much harder, lest she collapse completely and fall into a deep slumber that she might not wake from. She couldn't afford another setback. If she fell asleep, or was woken up before she found Zharaleon again, there was no telling how the Grave would change next. All things considered, she had been extremely fortunate to find her way back at all.

Through the gentle weaving of the well-constructed streets, Idelle found her way back to the heart of the city easily enough. Yet, finding Zharaleon didn't appear it would be as easy the second time. He wasn't in the main square. Idelle slowed to a stop. This was where they had found the despair demon, and yet—there wasn't even the slightest hint a fight had occurred. Every spec of damage was erased as though it never happened.

She took a moment, violet eyes sweeping over every building in wonder. It truly was a beautiful city. Had Zharaleon been taking care of it for however long he had been trapped here? What compelled him to do such a thing?

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the leaf left on the otherwise pristine street until it crunched underneath her boot. Idelle frowned as she looked down at it. What was a leaf doing there of all places? Her curiosity told her to pick it up. There was writing on it, scrawled in wobbly shiny golden letters that sparkled. It was aether, she realized. Pure aether used to write a small note scribbled on the front of the leaf.

'Follow the leaves to find me.'

Idelle couldn't help but smile at the strange letter. This Zharaleon was turning out to be nothing she had expected. Though, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Looking up, she found a trail of leaves leading off into a building nearby. Yet, that trail promptly reached the door and then trailed across the street to another, and then, another, and then, another. The man hadn't stayed still for a single second it looked like as the trail of leaves crisscrossed in every direction, sometimes looping back on itself, sometimes leading to places that made no sense at all, such as the middle of a wall or over benches as though the streets themselves were not fit to be traveled on.