When dusk fell over Sunyu Foorst, Reela wished Todo luck with his dumbass 'Warrior's Test' and prayed to Mazenya that he doesn't get himself or Corb killed. Maybe she's just worrying too much about nothing, but she can't help but feel as though this whole thing is a bad idea. But she's not a centaur, so what the fuck does she know?
In any case, until Corb and Todo get back she's got nothing but time to kill. She might as well spend it on some modicum of productivity. Or getting shitfaced. Either way, she's going to the tavern. Maybe slamming back a few centaur drinks will wash her worries away.
Just like last time, as soon as she enters the tavern she sees a group of now three centaurs throwing fists in the center of the room, all while the rest of the room watches and cheers and the Adaliaen woman she had spoken to earlier – she never caught her name – is playing a flute with her eyes closed, blissfully ignoring the whole world around her. Reela hadn't realized that woman was a bard, but she plays her song beautifully.
She feels the ground slightly shake when one centaur grabs the other and slams him into the floor, and she hears a loud crack that she hopes was just the floorboards, until she realized the floor is made of stone and unfortunately in rock, paper, skulls – rock beats skull.
As the fight continues, Reela approaches the bar counter and sits at a stool. Panele is working behind the counter again, and approaches Reela once she notices her sitting with her head down in her hands and the will to live leaving her soul.
"Somethin' strong ah take it?" Panele asks and already starts reaching for a flagon before Reela even answers. The girl wearily nods, wincing when she hears the sound of a table shattering behind her and the observing centaurs cheer. She tries to block it out as she awaits her drink.
To think that this city is the centaur race's last hope of salvation. Forget the threat of Varagores, it's only a matter of time before these people all kill each other and then that's it, no more centaurs. It's a scary thought that Reela honestly would prefer to not think about at all. It's not her fight.
Panele sets a frothing flagon down in front of Reela and she smiles. "Another on th' house," she says and Reela sits up a bit straighter.
"Are you sure? I can pay, you know," she says but the centaur woman just snickers and waves her off.
"It's haird enough tae get visitors as it is. I'll mak th' idiots who kill each other pay an' let th' sensible ones stay fur free. It's th' least ah kin do," Panele says kindly before turning to start filling another flagon once the sounds of fighting die down behind Reela's back.
The bard's song soon winds down and Panele turns around to set the flagon on the other end of the counter from where Reela is sitting, and the girl turns her head to see the bard step up to grab the flagon and wink at Panele before taking a long drink.
"Another fantastic performance, Taanys. Yer flute is th' soundtrack tae our city's plight," Panele says. The woman, Taanys, sets the flagon down with a chuckle.
"I can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing, but I'll take the free drinks all the same."
Panele smiles. "In a burnin' pile o' shite, a good song kin help lift spirits. Yer a blessing on al' o' us," she says before she steps around the counter – probably to start cleaning up the mess from the fight that Reela really doesn't want to turn around to see.
So instead, she drinks.
Taanys, the bard turns to glance at Reela and smirks. "Hey, it's you again. The one with the Val'Dernak boys," she says and leans on the counter to face Reela better. "Here alone?"
Reela slowly nods and sets down her flagon with a muffled cough against her burning throat. "Yeah. The idiots got themselves wrapped up in taking the 'Warrior's Test.' So now I'm here, spite drinking," she explains and Taanys snickers.
"Ah, centaurs and their bloody honor. A fool's errand, but at least it makes for good songs," she shrugs and picks up her flagon to slide over closer to Reela. "Mind if I join you? Getting hammered is more fun with strangers."
Reela chuckles and nods. "Please, I'm losing my mind here."
Taanys laughs and takes another drink. Reela watches her, noticing how she doesn't even stop to cough with how strong these drinks are. She's either insane, or she's used to drinking like a centaur. "So, 'Taanys' was it? Are you from Sunyu Foorst or something?" she asks. Might as well try breaking the ice.
Taanys sets the mug down with a light laugh. "Is that a serious question? Gods no. I was born in Lithonilynn. I tried to leave Letroseli for a time, but after Aramora, I decided to come back here," she explains and takes another quicker drink.
"But why Sunyu Foorst?" Reela asks.
Taanys shrugs and nods her head back towards Panele. "Exactly as Panele said. War makes good song material. Lot of profit for a bard in a bleeding land," she says and pulls over a stool for herself to sit next to Reela. "What about you? What brings you to the Foorst?"
Reela glances back, watching the centaurs begin to settle down from the fight to go back to drinking until the next spat breaks out and they start over once again. If Taanys plays here regularly, maybe she knows something about Adaste. It's worth a shot at the very least.
"I'm here to find the city's healer, Adaste Mar'Eveis," she faces Taanys again. "Know of her?"
Taanys bites her lip and takes another drink. Reela watches her fingers drum the counter in a soft rhythm to herself until she sets the flagon down. "Just about everyone here knows of her. But you'll be lucky to find anyone actually fond of her. A healer who refuses to heal during a war isn't exactly popular," she explains and sighs with a small smile. "But where are my manners? You know my name," she nods to Reela. "What's yours?"
Reela takes another drink too, trying to take a long one like Taanys but she just ends up coughing and setting the flagon back down in an attempt to compose herself. Once she's gotten at least some of the burning in her throat cleared away, she answers. "Reela."
Taanys cocks a brow and smiles. "Pretty name," she shows her another small shrug. "Well Reela, it was lovely to meet you, but alas I've got to be going. I recommend you get some sleep soon, take your mind off of your friends for a time. There's already enough stress in the air as it is. Don't need you adding to it, or it adding to yours," she slips off the stool and nods her head to Reela again before grabbing her flagon and walking out of the tavern while taking another long drink that Reela doesn't see the end of before she's out of sight.
Well that was weird, but she'd honestly expect weirdness from an Adaliaen living among centaurs. She had hoped that Taanys would've had something helpful for her search for Adaste, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. So much for getting shitfaced.
Reela takes her drink with her as she returns to the room she had rented earlier. Nothing left to do now but wait for Corb and Todo, she supposes.
But after about an hour of sitting in her room drinking, she notices a paper slip under her door. She somewhat drunkenly walks over and picks it up, opening it to read with slightly blurred vision.
"Esh Outpost. Midnight. Come alone."
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Todo leads the way through the mountains, constantly having to check to make sure Corb is still following him as they make their way to the ruins of Knoyadin – where his Warrior's Test is going to take place. Back in Kilead, the test was normally in some kind of crypt, but he personally never got to see it. Sunyu Foorst is different from Kilead, but he imagines the test will still hold the same overall gist as it did back home.
Regardless, he's been shaking with excitement since taking the blood contract. He was relieved Calphurnia is letting him take the Warrior's Test in the Kirix name, despite how she and her tribe personally feel about the Kirix Tribe. Honor is honor he supposes. He's not one to complain.
The brothers reach a mountain pass that Todo admits seems a little rocky, both literally and figuratively. The one thing that's the same between Kilead and Sunyu Foorst is the sheer cliffs, which aren't exactly ideal for centaurs to traverse so he opts to stay in his human form until actually reaching the ruins.
Todo glances back to see Corb begrudgingly following with his arms crossed and a sour look on his face. "Almost there," he says and Corb huffs and turns his glare to his brother.
"How the fuck do you know that?"
Todo frowns and reaches into his bag, holding out a rolled up paper. "I read the map."
Corb emits a spiteful snicker. "Ah right, I keep forgetting you're a nerd," he glances around the mountains. "You do realize the Warrior's Test is for warriors, right?"
Todo rolls his eyes and turns to face the canyon again. "And you realize you're supposed to observe and not provide input, right?" he scoffs and steps closer to the edge, glancing around for the way forward. He doesn't see it right away, so he unrolls the map to examine the path, when an unfortunately placed gust of wind rips the paper from his hands and carries it down the valley.
He tries reaching for it a bit too late and almost lost his footing, but he manages to back up and steady himself while Corb laughs. "Fantastic. Great job 'reading the map' dumbass," he grumbles and Todo growls back at him.
"Shut up, will you? It has to be around here somewhere. The ruins aren't far," he says and continues following the rocky path up the mountain with his brother following until they arrive at a sheer cliff edge through the canyon, and a hundred feet above the narrow rapid river is the bridge.
Massive ancient chains overgrown with moss and rust anchored into the side of the mountain and connect on the opposite side of the canyon, where Todo can see the massive gates of the ruins shrouded in a layer of fog that hugs the mountains and fir trees that stand against the burning sky with the coming of night.
Corb steps up beside him with a glower frown and Todo snickers before nudging his side.
"Told you I knew where I was going," he states proudly.
Corb rolls his eyes. "Wow, look at you. Truly a legend to be revered," he huffs and steps back, motioning him forward. "You first, almighty fucking warrior."
Todo glares at him and shakes his head. "Just stay out of my way. I for one am happy to be here and I won't let you ruin this for me. I thought we could enjoy this together, but if you want to be an ass the whole time then feel free to shut up and sulk while I – as always – carry the team alone," he snaps and takes the first step onto the enormous chains. "I wish Reela was here..."
"Yeah, I'm sure you fucking do. But guess what? She's sick of your shit just like I am. So much for 'together' and all that childish bullshit," Corb mumbles as he starts to follow his brother down the chain bridge.
Todo would glance back at him, but he opts to keep his eyes on the chains to not risk losing his footing. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?" he asks and takes the next step, hearing Corb do the same behind him.
"Didn't you just tell me to shut up? Stop talking to me," Corb grumbles and Todo feels a sudden urge to turn around and punch him in the face. But for the sake of not getting them both killed by falling a hundred feet into a shallow jagged river, he refrains.
The rest of the way across the bridge was traversed in silence, but the weight over their heads speaks volumes. Todo blocks it out as he approaches the towering rusted gates covered with moss and vines and a layer of dew from the coat of fog. He looks around just as Corb reaches the ledge behind him. He spots a set of rusted levers, one on each side of the gate.
"Corb, pull the lever on the left and I'll get the one on the right," Todo says and walks over to the right of the gate. Corb approaches the left lever, but just glares at it without sparing his brother a glance.
"Thought I'm not supposed to help."
Todo growls and glares over at him. "We're not taking the test yet. Stop with the petulant bullshit and just pull the lever, jackass," he says and grabs the lever in front of him, looking over to make sure Corb is actually doing the same.
It takes him a moment to comply, but Corb eventually does grab the second lever and pulls it at the same time that Todo does. The two step back to watch as the ancient doors begin to creak and groan, the mountains tremble as the doors slowly swing open to allow them to enter the ruins.
Without a word, Todo just glances at Corb before turning his full focus to the path ahead and he starts making his way forward, hearing the hoof steps of his brother following.
At first, it's just a dark hallway lit up only by the light from the open door behind them. But as they keep walking forward, the doors slowly close themselves up behind them. Glancing back, there isn't another set of levers on this side of the door, so this is officially the point of no return. The only way out will be at the end of the test.
Darkness falls over the hallway. What was just shadows cast by the doors shutting out the blaze of dusk now shifts to an infinite nothingness of a personal void. But it's just a ruin. It's just darkness. But the silence joined hand in hand with the blindness seems a personal hell in the making, so Todo opts not to linger.
Corb on the other hand moves slower from the moment he can no longer see his brother just a few feet in front of him. He'll never admit it out loud, but he hates the dark. Not knowing what could be standing right in front of him while his eyes are wide open makes him wish he had been allowed to bring his gun. Instead, he feels defenseless, which is perhaps more terrifying than the dark.
Todo pushes forward, or at least he hopes this is forward. He can't really tell where exactly he's going, but this feels like the right way. With nothing else to go off of, he listens only to the sound of Corb's hooves following him slowly. To remember that he's not alone, regardless of the petty bickering between himself and Corb lately. If he has to go through hell with an asshole, at least that asshole is his brother.
The hoof steps move with hesitation, which adds to the anxiety in Todo's heart. He would look back to check on his brother, but he knows he won't be able to see him with how infinitely dark everything is. So he keeps moving, as do the steps that follow.
Then, down the hall ahead of him, he sees a singular light shining down on a shadow in the form of a centaur woman. He can't make out any features, but he recognizes the silhouette. Long curly hair hanging from a head held high. A greatsword sheathed on her back with a shield. The shape of sharp leaves that adorn her golden crown that just barely reflects in the lantern light.
Nesosa. His older sister. His hero.
Tears sting his eyes and a smile spreads across his face as his heart guides him forward faster at just the sight of her. She beckons him closer, so he starts to run. But the faster he moves, the longer the hallway becomes. The farther away she gets.
But he keeps chasing after her, until he realizes he no longer hears Corb's hoof steps.
He skids to a stop, and the singular light flickers out, along with the shade of Nesosa. And once again, he's left in darkness.
Then the light returns, but this time it's over him. He stands in the only light amidst this never ending darkness, and he listens for Corb's steps. He looks around as best he can, but he finds nothing but the void beyond his small circle of sight from one singular lantern light above him.
"Corb?" he calls to the darkness, but receives no response.
Maybe he ran too far away. Faster than his brother could follow.
Did he even try to follow?
Or did he stop walking the moment Todo decided to run?
Is this what the Warrior's Test was like for Nesosa? Confusion and fear that follow the smallest shred of hope? What would she have done in this situation?
She would've been strong. She would've done what needed to be done, regardless of her fears.
Todo steps out of the light to continue walking forward through the darkness. As he pushes forward, he glances back at the light to see that it's still there. He had expected it to flicker out the moment he left, but it remains even as he moves further away from it.
He turns forward again and just keeps moving. He waits for something to happen, maybe another shade of Nesosa to appear in the distance or something else for him to attempt to reach, but all he receives is nothing. Just darkness.
So he stops to glance back again to check if the light is still there, just as he watches Corb appear standing in the light, but he goes no further. His brother just stands there in the only light in this entire place, looking around at the darkness.
Todo waits for him to follow, but he just stays there.
Corb doesn't even try to leave the light. He knows Todo is out there somewhere, but fuck that. He's not going back into the dark. Todo can figure this shit out for himself after just running off and leaving him behind like that.
Once Todo realizes Corb isn't going any further, he sighs before turning and starting to walk back through the darkness towards his brother.
But just like with the shade of Nesosa, the hallway stretches on and on, forcing Todo to try again to sprint through the darkness to reach his brother, watching as the light starts to flicker again.
And then it's gone again, along with Corb.
Todo stops in his place and looks around. What is the point of this? Is there some big puzzle he's supposed to solve here? How is he supposed to get anywhere when everything vanishes the moment he tries to reach it?
The darkness flickers out around him, and he's no longer in the hallway. He's now standing in what looks like a room, but with those infinite shadows clinging to the ceiling with specks of light, like stars. The wide room holds a crumbled tower in the center, and he's standing in what he thinks is supposed to be some kind of courtyard or garden.
There are bodies cloaked in shadows laying around him, and he watches as light silhouettes in the shape of people rise from their bodies and into the sky.
Then he sees her again. The silhouette of Nesosa with her greatsword in her hands, raised over something Todo can't recognize. An orb made of darkness. It swivels with poisonous magic that sets his nerves on fire.
The moment it clicks in his brain, fear strikes his heart.
This is the moment she died. This is her sacrifice.
He's finally going to see exactly what happened. Everyone around him since leaving Sage has talked of nothing but doubt. Debates rising of who is truly to blame. Sarabeth Blackwell or Nesosa Val'Dernak. Sarabeth pulled the strings, but Nesosa pulled the trigger.
But of course the world would prefer to favor a human over a centaur. No one wants to admit that a centaur is the reason they're all still alive.
Nesosa saved the world.
And he's finally going to see it for himself.
"...Todo?"
He hears Corb's voice call from the darkness in a tone laced with fear.
The shade of Nesosa freezes in place. Time stops around him.
Todo glances back to the hallway, still seeing no signs of his brother. But he's still out there.
He takes a step towards the hallway, but the moment he moves, time threatens to start again. Nesosa gets closer to saving the world, to making her sacrifice. If he leaves to go find Corb, he'll miss out on his chance to see what really happened.
He has to make a choice.
Knowing the truth would be for the greater good. He would finally be able to tell people what happened. Right now, only Nisha knows for certain, and even she wasn't there in Nesosa's final moments. No one alive was able to watch Nesosa make her sacrifice for the world. No one saw how brave and strong she was.
He could be the only one to see it.
"...Todo, where the fuck are you?!" Corb calls out again, his fearful voice echoes through the hallway.
What would happen if he doesn't go find Corb? There isn't anything dangerous in these ruins, right? How much danger is he really in?
He doesn't know in this moment, but he remembers where he was when Nesosa was here. When she was giving her life to save the world, he was in Kilead with Corb. He saw that light from Ecrin, grabbed his brother, and jumped from the cliff to the Recharn Sea.
If he hadn't, they both would have died.
That's not going to happen now, is it?
Todo takes another step towards the hallway, making time move another second closer to Nesosa's sacrifice. Another second he missed.
Corb would have died had Todo not saved him.
With a heavy sigh, Todo forces himself to turn away from Nesosa and sprint back into the darkness of the hallway.
As soon as he leaves the room, he hears glass shattering, followed by a blinding light that begins to spread across the walls behind him, so he runs faster. He sees Corb at the end of the hall and sprints for him with heavy breaths and terror of knowing that the light that's following him will kill them both if he's not fast enough. If he can't reach his brother in time.
As he sprints and feels that paralyzing fear that he won't make it in time, he closes his eyes and lets his body revert to it's natural centaur state, giving him the force he needs to move just fast enough to make it to Corb and reach out to grab his arm.
But Corb flickers out the moment he would have grabbed him.
Todo has no time to process as the force of his sprint throws him forward, and he realizes that behind Corb was a ledge that drops straight down into a deep basin of water. Todo crashes through the surface, submerging beneath the waves and seeing that at the top of the shaft above him, the light fills the hallway but it doesn't reach him down here.
But he's alone. He was too late.
He couldn't choose fast enough.
Todo pushes himself up to get his head above the water and looks around, seeing that up ahead at the end of the water basin is a stone door, lit up with two lanterns hanging on each side.
And standing beside the door, drenched in water is Corb.
Todo swims over and steps up once he feels stone stairs beneath his hooves, and he breathlessly approaches Corb, who just glares at him before he sharply looks away.
"Corb, I..."
Corb shakes his head. "Just open the fucking door..." he grunts.
Todo shuts his mouth and lowers his head as his shoulders slump at hearing the sharp bite to his brother's tone, and it's more painful knowing that he deserves it. He both missed seeing what happened with Nesosa, but wasn't there in time to save Corb.
He slowly steps up to the door, looking up at the words carved into the stone above it. At least he spent a couple of years studying the language of centaurs in his spare time between learning how to control his magic.
The sign reads, "What is your greatest fear?"
Todo takes a small step back and almost shrinks in on himself. In all of the panic, he had completely forgotten what this trial was called.
The Trial of Courage.
He looks away from the door to just stare down at nothing. Just the dust and rocks on the floor.
"I... I don't know."
Corb slowly shakes his head again and his jaw tightens. "Yes you do," he states, getting Todo to lift his head and look at him again. Corb uncrosses his arms and takes a step towards him. "You know damn well what it is. Admit it."
Todo shrinks back again from the cut of his words. From knowing that Corb is right.
He faces the door again and closes his eyes, feeling the shame in his heart as the answer enters his mind.
"...Admitting I'll never be as good as Nesosa."
Nesosa was a hero. She saved the world despite the cost. Nisha told them that she was able to decide in the moment what she needed to do to save who she could. She saved her friends and the world at the price of Aramora and her life.
While Todo froze until it was too late to save anyone.
He can't bring himself to open his eyes as the door rumbles, stirring up dust and rubble from the walls and ceiling until the stone panel slides into the floor, allowing them entry to the next trial.
Corb just glares at Todo. "Hurts to accept you're not exactly 'perfect,' doesn't it?" he snaps and Todo opens his eyes to look at him, seeing the anger in his eyes. "Well guess what? Neither was Nesosa." The bitterness to his words, especially as he said her name, strikes a cold blow to Todo's heart.
Nesosa was his hero. She was everything he has always aspired to be.
But who was she?
In his mind, Nesosa is larger than life. But then why is it so hard to remember who she was when she was still alive?
Maybe part of his fear is admitting the reason.
It's hard to remember someone in memories that don't exist.