Note: Slightly longer chapter because there's a song in here.
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Moments later, the smoke cleared. A winding white path stretched before them into a foggy grassland. Thereanbold bent over, heaving a sigh.
"That was close!" He straightened his back. "Hope Alsinda doesn't ask me later." He gave a light chuckle. "She's pretty intense."
"I'll say." Daero said with a wry smile. But Pinti couldn't share the moment. Kirlan's anger had shaken her to the core. But she didn't know! And the last two years of his life, she couldn't even begin to imagine.
"Hey, you okay?" Daero turned to her.
"He was my best friend, b-but I know he wasn't there. I know what happened." She gritted her teeth and looked out at a barren land stretching behind. She could just make out the city's light sparkling on the horizon. "I know I wouldn't have missed him. I would never do that."
"He's just confused," Daero said in a soft voice, resting his paw on her shoulder. "It's okay."
"It's not okay!" She bristled. Kirlan now thought of her as someone that would leave a fellow Kathula behind. What did he think now, seeing her roaming free while he was in chains? "Maybe it is my fault." She dropped her gaze because she knew it was a weak claim.
Daero gripped her shoulders. "Look at me!"
She met his gaze, half obscured behind his long bangs.
"It's not your fault. He just needs someone to blame. He doesn't really believe it. If he and you were good friends, he would know you wouldn't let this happen to him. When this is all over, we'll go get him. You and I. And you can talk to him. He'll forgi—"
"It's too late." Pinti shook her head. That anger in his eyes was real and raw. How could their relationship ever be repaired?
Daero's paws shifted from her shoulders down to her paws. "It's not too late," He squeezed, "He will understand one day. Of course, it will take time. But it'll happen." He offered a smile and patted her shoulder. He seemed so sure.
Before she could think of something to say, Thereanbold shoved a cookie into her face. Pinti blinked at him, startled.
He gave a warm smile and said, "Look, I don't know the whole story, but I do know that a cookie makes everything better."
Pinti took the cookie. It was sweet and strangely soothing. Her chest tightened. The sorrow was familiar. It swelled in her throat and burned her nose. She could feel the hot tears coming into her eyes. At the same time, determination swelled strong in her heart as a beacon pointing her towards the next task at paw. She didn't want Kirlan to think she was just running away. She had to get to the scepter and kill Edglings on behalf of Kirlan. It wasn't her fault. It was theirs'.
Be strong. Be brave. Don't cry, don't feel. Pinti shoved the sorrow to the back of her mind. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the tears out of her eyes until they were once again dry.
Daero lay a paw on her shoulder. "Hey—"
"I'm fine," she said and gave a faint smile. "The cookie was good. So, where to now?"
Thereanbold nodded. "Well, we're at the outskirts of Fiddlemont. That path leads to Vrebrinfeld Lowlands. Fog never lifts there. This is where I must leave you off."
Daero blinked, surprised. "Here? You're not coming with us through the lowlands?"
"No, no, I'm much too old for too much adventure, although," He held his finger up to silence Daero, "it is tempting." He held out a scaly hand to Daero and shook it.
"Ah, I can feel your magick!" Thereanbold exclaimed while Daero grimaced. "How extraordinary! Ooo!" He stomped his feet. "Exciting, you're going to unmask that when you get to the gates, aren't you? Frumph! Curious, curious, now," He turned to Pinti, "let's see you."
He snatched her paw with a chuckle. Giving a solemn nod he said, "Young Kathula, take care now. Don't trust so easily around here. Sorcerers are quite the conniving bunch. Except for me. You can trust me." His black eyes didn't waver, and not a hint of a joke peppered his face. Here was a Sorcerer, at long last, that meant what he said one hundred percent.
"Thank you, really," she said, suddenly feeling a little shy. He patted her head.
"That's a 'no problem!' from the old man to you, youngster." He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Just doing the right thing." His mustache wavered as he laughed through his nose.
"Daero," he said in a stern, deep voice.
"Yes, Lazyrrin?" Daero smirked.
"Ha-ha! Oh, come on." Thereanbold's shoulders shook. "I was trying to sound serious! Anyway, keep your wits about you. You might have some skills, but you should be careful." He took a step back and looked at them both. "Ah, from here, just two Kathula. I wish you luck. I'll be waiting at the mansion for your return."
He raised his hand and waved once, then he rippled and disappeared. Pinti and Daero turned their heads to the path. A hushed quiet enveloped them with fog.
"Well, shall we?" Daero said and Pinti nodded. She focused her senses on the unfamiliar land in the fog. It should have been morning by now, but the foggy lands were shaded from sunlight's absence. The white-blue moon, Nyliell, was their guide, illuminating most of their surroundings in an eerie hue. Pinti had never seen Nyliell so close she could make out its shallow craters. Usually, only the deeper craters were visible from the sky.
Under cold moonlight, Pinti and Daero trekked down the path as it stretched deeper and deeper into the fog until it surrounded them. She caught an owl's hoot and some other bird's screech but couldn't see either of them. Wings fluttered in a frenzy. A crow zipped overhead, disappearing again into the fog.
Silence filled the area. Pinti twitched her ears. She and Daero ducked at the same time as seconds later a craze of crows came right and left. A surge of beating wings and angry cries filled her ears.
"Heizak!" Pinti hissed at one that came for her head. It glared at her with yellow eyes.
"GRAWK!" said another one close to her ear. Its sharp talons grazed her cheek.
"Let's get out of here!" Daero hissed and ran down and up the hill. Pinti tried to keep close, but her senses were distracted with crows. The crows seemed to scream after them, chasing them through the fog.
Hissing in frustration, Pinti pushed her legs up the hill as the crows cawed in a chorus of haunting sounds behind, but they didn't come any further. At last, the peak was in sight and just on the summit, Daero was standing.
"Those were some angry crows," she said, slowing to a walk. He was staring intently at something in the scene below them.
She followed his gaze. Cracked gray tiles lay across the flatland below. A circle of stones made up the basin around an old fountain. There was a little tower with a bell keep. Those were the only two taller structures standing. Everything else had been crushed. Wreckage of wooden houses surrounded the area, and everything was covered in a haze of gray and black as if a fire had once swept through here. When Pinti sniffed the air, a hint of charcoal touched her nose and made her sneeze.
"Ravens."
"What?" Pinti searched for ravens, but there were no creatures in sight.
"Ravens, not crows," he said.
Pinti twitched her whiskers. What did it matter? Ravens or crows, they were still angry and weird. It was like they were trying to make them hurry up and come this way.
"Ravens are big. Crows are small." He went on. "Their tails are also shaped differently."
"Is that Vrebrinfeld Lowlands?" She crossed her arms. And who cares about ravens or crows, stupid! She signed with her tail when he wasn't looking.
He blinked his eyes and turned to her. "Yeah, I think so. Also, my fur tingles as if there's magick, but not the usual—well, it's hard to explain. It's just odd."
"Odd?" Pinti twitched her whiskers, feeling the air. It didn't feel strange to her. "I need more than 'odd'." She frowned.
"Odd is, well, odd." Daero crossed his arms and twitched his tail tip. "Mm," He grunted, "but the path goes through there." He pointed to the ruins below.
Pinti could just make out the white path twisting and slithering in between the fallen houses, until it reached a part of the ruins shrouded in darkness. The sight of it tickled her instincts into flight mode. Something was not right or dangerous here. She itched to run away and go back when Daero started making his way down the hill.
Strong Shamala, Pinti. She reminded herself firmly. As they passed the fountain, something caught her eye.
"Wait," she said louder than she meant to and bristled at the sound of her own voice. There was something at the base of the fountain on some of the stone tiles. It looked like a part of the Lunar marking.
Here? In the Sorcerer's Ring? Wanting to find out, Pinti bent down to remove rocks, dirt, and pieces of wood. Daero came to stand next to her and they both gasped at the same time when the carved Lunar marking began to glow.
Pinti's warmed in response. Her heart began to thump against her chest echoing loud in her ears. Her side felt warm, too. The runic 'A' symbol was burning a hole in her pouch. She tried to slip it out, but it was hot.
"Ouch!" Pinti snatched it out quickly and it landed with a clopper on the ground. She licked her paw as the Aurvandil stone glowed brighter and brighter.
"Runic magick!" Daero gasped and his own azure magick illuminated his silhouette.
A soft yellow light appeared in the fountain's basin. Like water it pooled, and levels rose, filling the basin to the brim. When the surface rippled, her Lunar marking dimmed. The Aurvandil stone skittered across the ground and jumped into the basin letting up a splash of liquid light. Thunder cracked as liquid light sprouted to the sky. Pinti fell backwards, startled.
"Take my paw." Daero reached behind but kept his attention on the light. It turned into a fountain as Pinti grabbed his paw and stood on shaky legs. For some reason, she felt like her dimmed Lunar marking was being used making her feel weak.
The liquid yellow light fountained downwards, back into the pool. At that moment, the voice of a male echoed in her mind singing words she recognized—ancient Kathulan.
Laid afar, the furthest sphere
Beyond the morrow, into the night
The whisper of the wind one can hear
Darkest reaches, dimmest lights
Rust ridden alleys, stolen lives
Raw, rich, a bloodstained meadow
Words wield weapons as sharp as knives
Half-beating hearts, born from shadow
Blue tainted darkness, Lunar light
An abysmal crevice, hideaway creak
Only one soul shall wish tonight
One soul granted powers to unleash
The voice faded. The liquid light burst into a million sparkles and disappeared. The words still echoed in her mind. That voice was deep like Daero's but with a raspy tint to it as if it were older.
"Laid afar, the furthest sphere," she whispered. "What was that for? Where's the stone?" Pinti searched around the fountain and the basin, but it was gone. There was no way she could miss a white and blue marbled stone among these gray rocks.
"It probably served its purpose," Daero said, "The magick was ancient, stale, runic magick. Understandable, because it's how runic magick works. Once an object serves its purpose, it gets destroyed." He peered into the fountain and shook his head. "Not even a residue."
Gives me an answer I wasn't looking for. Pinti twitched her whiskers. "What purpose? And what was that song?"
But Daero didn't answer, whatever he was thinking. Pinti pursed her lips as she followed him on the path again. So, he was going to be a mysterious Sorcerer, was he?
What if there are more hints by that Lunar marking carving? She thought, but behind her, the fog had rolled in and concealed the fountain. The screech of a crow or raven startled her. Turning back, she saw Daero's tail disappear into the fog ahead.
"Wait, not too fast!" she called and hurried after, keeping his twitching tail tip just in sight. An Edgling's distinct howl came from above and Pinti's fur bristled on instinct. Her heart pounded, waiting for an ambush. She listened for another howl or even a reply, but nothing came.
"How does he find you?" Daero whispered when she caught up to him and matched his brisk pace.
"It's a Saboteur thing, I guess." Pinti never really questioned how he found her. He just did.
Daero rubbed his chin. "He must have the nose of a Haundai," He speculated. "Those dog-type Halfhumans have good noses." He smirked over his shoulder. Pinti was already behind. While he talked, he walked faster, and his wide stride didn't help. Now instead of her waiting for Deel, it was Daero waiting for her.
As she quickened her pace, he watched her through narrowed eyes. "You're not this slow. You were practically leaving Deel behind without a second thought."
She let out a short hiss and flashed him her fangs. "You have a wide stride and you're taller than me. Makes you faster. Be aware of that."
Daero shook his head. "You're just imagining things."
"Heizak, you. No better than Deel." While she glared at him, he chuckled and didn't slow down. She was practically running after him by the time they burst out of the fog and into a ghost town of fallen wooden houses built too close together for comfort. Daero didn't slow his pace even when the white path wound around corners and she lost sight of him twice.
"Slow down!" She huffed. Thankfully, the paths and walls didn't move around like Syaraize, but navigating through seemingly eternal gloomy, foggy land was not ideal either. And there were those crows that could attack again.
Or ravens or whatever. She glared at Daero when he took a quick turn flashing her a grin. And what if some Sorcerer popped out and tried to snatch her away again? It was ironic how she needed a Sorcerer by her side to save her from Sorcerers!
The old town surrounded her with its memories as a slight breezed seemed to whisper its secrets in her ears. Pinti barely managed to follow Daero. Sometimes the path branched out and only Daero's tailtip told her the right way. She gave up calling to him hoping that maybe his silly playfulness would come to an end. They had a task at paw!
Heizak. First Deel, now Daero. She sighed. But at least he's a lot calmer. She observed. Caved stone walls revealed the innards of the old houses. There were wooden tables and chairs with broken legs, shattered glass shards reflecting moonlight, and piles and piles of ashes inside and outside the houses, and in the alleys between.
"I wonder how long these had been here," she said once she finally caught up to Daero.
"What?" He looked over his shoulder with a grin. "You said something?"
Pinti scowled. She was trying to have a conversation, but he was trying to play. "I said you walk too fast."
"Well, I don't feel like I do." He smirked with a shrug. "This is even slow for me."
"You're a mallè."
"And you're a female. What's the point?" he said as a smile pulled at his lips. "You want me to be—"
"I do! Even Human society males match the paces of females. I've seen them. Besides, I'm relying on your Sorcerer stuff to get us to Rauvuren Trude safely and if you're—"
"Really?" Daero said with a cough. "Y-You're relying on me?" He pointed to himself as if he didn't know what she had said. "Really?" He squeaked.
"Of course, I am!" Pinti bristled. "You said I could, right?" Wasn't that what they decided? That he would get them to Rauvuren Trude and they would turn around if it looked like it was going to be too dangerous? She was relying on his judgement for that.
"Wow. Okay." He licked his shoulder. Pinti couldn't guess what he was embarrassed about. He was just being weird.
When they started off again, he slowed his pace to match with her. She let out a loud enough trill of satisfaction and gave him a slight victorious grin. Daero side-glanced her and licked his other shoulder.
"Shut up, Deel," he muttered and shook himself.
"You're weird," Pinti said with a roll of her eyes, feeling a faint smile tug at her lips.
They went on in silence after that. The moonlight still followed them, but it was getting darker. Shadows began to invade the light's territory until they came to a square leading into murky darkness so dense, she couldn't see inside. It was strange how the square was cut in half with one moonlit side and one shadowed side.
Well, maybe not the strangest thing I've ever seen. She recalled the strange comb-like birds in the Forest Crup that chased her.
A sudden gust of wind trampled through the square. It blew ashes and dust up in plume of clouds, swirling around like a tornado. Pinti squeezed her eyes shut. The wind roared behind them and shot up to the sky.
When the dust lifted, she felt wet grass beneath her feet. She flung her eyes open. They were no longer in the ghost town or facing dense darkness. Before them sat a monstrous wrought iron gate with elaborate floral vines etched across the metal. The gate had rods crisscrossing in between. It reached up to the sky where the moon's brightness dwarfed the stars.
A giant padlock, the size of her head, morphed into existence, dangling heavily in between the two gate doors. With a soft whoosh, green and purple runic letters exploded out of the keyhole, hovering just above the ground. Just like a portal would, they left echoes of vibrations in her chest.
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Note: mallè = male in ancient Kathulan
You might wonder, well, what would ancient Kathulan sound like to us Humans? It would sound like cats trying to speak but failing :P It would sound like meows with a few extra consonants in them and having some kind of grammatical structure.