The Shadow

by notyourdreamwife

The Guard is struggling post-war, despite its apparent victory. Ethan has withdrawn completely into himself, much to his father's distress, and Matt is struggling to fill Lorian's shoes as head of the Guard. Isabel, lost in her concern for her friends, teeters on the precipice of making some very poor decisions that could threaten the tentative peace that has settled.

7. Seven - Arkarian

Seven - Arkarian

There's so much to prepare for our expedition to Veridian, and I'm running shamefully behind schedule. I stare absently at the various bits of climbing gear and rope I've laid out on the floor of one of my training rooms. Isabel is bringing more up with her when she arrives later, raiding her enormous stash of outdoors paraphernalia that she's built up over the course of several mountaineering-filled years. Undoubtedly her equipment will be of a much higher quality than the variety of second-hand pieces I've managed to scrape together. I pick up a dangerously frayed piece of rope that I'm almost certain I've had since the late 1800s and it gives out completely, disintegrating in my hands. Once, I would have been able to ask for newer equipment from the Tribunal, but somehow I doubt that replacing the rusty climbing gear that the man who never leaves his cave has hoarded over the centuries is going to come very high in their list of priorities nowadays.

Even thinking about the Tribunal and its current state threatens to incur a raging headache, so I quickly push the thought to the back of my mind. Unfortunately too many other thoughts are already hastily stashed in the recesses of my head, and there's barely any room to put new worries. Perhaps somewhere between my childhood abandonment issues and semi-centennial existential crises I think to myself drily.

Since returning from our decidedly unrelaxing trip to Athens yesterday morning, I've been feeling unusually anxious. I can hardly remember the last time I felt so unsettled, and no amount of inner tranquility seems to help. Receiving Brystianne's message informing me of the dramatics of the ensuing Tribunal meeting was the final straw.

I wonder how much of a dicey game Matt is playing. I can't imagine Lorian throwing a fit like that upon being challenged, but in the same stroke I have trouble picturing Tribunal members rebelling against Lorian at all. My father always kept a firm hand on things, but was open to change and suggestion from the Tribunal members in a way Matt has stubbornly refused to be. Matt has been taught well how to be in charge, but not so well how to lead. It makes me question the kind of person my uncle, Dartemis, must be. Squirreled away outside of the universe, he hasn't had much, if any, contact with others - no experience of leadership, of what it means to work with other people. Lorian would have been a much better instructor, as he was for me, but I assume that time constraints made it necessary to ship Matt off to the 'immortal intensive course' as Isabel called it. Lorian had laughed for quite a while at that - one of the last times I ever saw him smile.

Isabel has been quiet since Athens, which worries me even more. She's always so determined to solve everything on her own, but all of these problems are too big for one person to solve. I wish I could persuade her to prioritise herself and her own safety for once. I sense, however, that her terrifying vision of herself dying is probably somewhere near the bottom of her priorities. Whilst I have no doubts in Isabel's ability to defend herself, I have silently resolved to make her safety my number one priority if she won't do it herself. I know that she wants to try and ask Ethan to help teach her how to use her wings but I intend to provide as much instruction as I can, and to train with her more often in her free time. I fear we will be waiting for a long time for Ethan to return to training, and Isabel should learn how to use her wings as quickly as possible.

Selfishly, I relish the idea of having an excuse to have Isabel here even more than usual. I always thought myself to be something of a solitary person, but losing my home and most of my friends on the Citadel has really driven the point home. I was always an outsider to many of the Atlanteans, even the ones I was close to, and similarly the Tribunal, whilst I've had close, even romantic upon two occasions, relationships with most of them, I was always separate from them in most of my day to day life. Meanwhile, the rest of the Guard put me up on a pedestal. A friend to many, yes, but never a close one - more of a mentor. To a regular Guard member who lives the rest of their life in the outside world, I'm not very relatable. It's hard to relate to conversations about the latest film when you've only been to a cinema twice in your life, both times on missions. There is always a divide between myself and everyone around me. Isabel is the first person to ever treat me like a true equal. It's shocking how well she's embraced the idea of the lonely life she's been sentenced to with me. Well, I suppose it won't be lonely anymore if we have each other.

I silently chastise myself. This lifestyle being so lonely is exactly what makes my constant desire to be with Isabel selfish. She only has just over a year left with her friends and family, living the normal(ish) happy life that she deserves. Sometimes I wish Lorian had just granted my first wish - to have my agelessness removed - to be able to live a normal life alongside her and not be the one to take her future away. I could have gotten a job, maybe even gone to a university and sat in a real classroom with other people. A far cry away from my actual educational experience with Lorian sat in his private chambers in Athens, hunched over a desk whilst he patiently sounded out letters for me. I wonder what kind of life I could have lived on the outside, what kind of person I would have been.

You don't even know how to work a toaster, I think to myself. What use would you actually be outside of the Guard?

Mentally I shake myself. Thinking like that won't improve my mood. I should be grateful for what I have - good friends, a safe place to live, and someone who loves me. Especially having someone who loves me and is willing to give up everything to be with me. I check the clock that now lives in the corner of the training room after being scavenged from the Citadel in miraculously working order. Why would anyone deem it necessary to keep clocks in a place that existed outside of time itself I have yet to find out, but it's nice to not have to constantly head back out into my central chambers to find out the time. Shaun once offered to buy me a watch, but it never felt necessary until now, when it's more important than ever to keep track of the length of time that Isabel is here training with me. And Isabel is due to be here in ten minutes, along with Matt and Neriah. Damn. I've been too distracted.

I hastily begin to bunch supplies together into groups- a kit for each person going down into Veridian containing a torch, ropes, grips, protective gear and other bits and pieces. I'm still assembling everything when I hear Isabel's thoughts outside my chamber door asking for entry. As I open the door in the rock-face she sends a different thought out to me, a direct projection this time storming straight into my head.

Matt and Neriah aren't talking. Neriah's upset. Matt's a dick.

I frown. Matt certainly isn't my favourite person, but it's clear how much he totally adores Neriah, and Neriah is one of the most pleasant and least argumentative people that I've met in my six-hundred and one years alive. I wonder what's happened between them. Isabel will undoubtedly fill me in later.

As I think this, Isabel appears at the training room door laden with bright blue nylon bags of clanking equipment. She looks tired, with her hair unbrushed and forced into a rough ponytail to keep it out of her face, but she's smiling at me and shaking the bags enthusiastically.

"I found so much of my old stuff in our shed!" she says, dropping several bags at my feet.

I kiss her by way of greeting, slipping a few bags off of her shoulder as I do so.

"Are these… tent poles?" I ask.

"She literally bought everything," Matt complains from behind her. He's also carrying huge amounts of bags, I note. Neriah is stood slightly further back nearer to the door, dragging a wheeled case behind her which declares itself to be a carry case for an eight man tent.

"Isabel are you intending to move into Veridian?" I ask incredulously.

"It's not all for today," Isabel replies. "The tent Neriah's holding has a huge hole in it, but the material should still be good to cut up and reuse in your garden. A bunch of this stuff is for you to use."

Matt huffs and leans his bags up against the doorway. He flicks an irritated gaze over towards Isabel. "Are you seriously telling me we've just dragged a load of your garbage up the mountain? We could have just pushed it through one of Neriah's portals."

"It's not garbage," Isabel says defensively.

"Actually this is all very useful," I agree. "It's rare I get so much new material to use."

My chambers are built to be entirely self-sufficient if necessary, and since the Citadel's destruction, it has become very necessary indeed. Everything that comes my way is usually repurposed in one way or another for as long as I've kept quarters here, so I try and keep a healthy stock of materials.

"We still could have portaled it," Matt grumbles, setting his own bags down next to Isabel's.

"This stuff is too useful to risk being accidentally shunted into another dimension," Isabel replies. She looks over to Neriah and smiles apologetically. "No offence."

"None taken," Neriah says as she leans the tent bag awkwardly against the hallway's rock wall.

Once she's sure the bag won't topple over, Neriah comes over to me and gives me a quick hug before moving into the training room to help Isabel unpack. True to Isabel's word, she purposely avoids Matt's eyes the entire time, bowing her head low over Isabel's lime green bungee cords as if they're the most interesting thing she's ever seen.

"Jimmy will be a bit late," Isabel informs me as she untangles some more cords and sorts them into the packs I've already prepared. "He said he had a quick thing to do at work then he'd join us. Should only be like ten minutes, though."

"That gives us time to finish these," I say, tapping one of the bags forlornly with my foot. "I seem to have been running slightly behind schedule this morning."

Matt frowns, and for a moment I think that I actually see a look of concern in his expression. As quick as I see it, his expression returns to neutral.

"That's not like you," he says, no hint of emotion in his voice.

"I think we're all feeling a little weird at the moment," Neriah says, so quietly I almost don't hear her.

Matt, however, clearly has heard her just fine and he shuts down instantly. He unfolds his arms and marches over to the table that I've spread out the few maps I have of Veridian on top of. He silently shuffles through them, back firmly towards the rest of us. For a few awkward seconds Neriah, Isabel and I stand frozen, waiting to see if Matt is going to say anything. When he doesn't, I crouch down next to the two girls and help them untangle more equipment.

What happened? I project directly to Isabel.

Matt and I had a little argument last night, and Neriah got caught in the crossfire, Isabel's reply comes storming back. I struggle not to flinch. Isabel's ability to project messages directly to me is coming along nicely, but sometimes she's more forceful than she realises.

And how exactly did Neriah get caught in the crossfire? What were you and Matt arguing about?

Isabel hesitates before she replies, fiddling nervously with some loose threads on the bungee cord she's wrapping around her fingers.

We were arguing about Dillon.

Dillon? I think in disbelief. I thought you were going to try and help Matt with that, not just march in and start a fight over it.

I didn't! I swear I wasn't even going to mention it!

Then how did the subject even come up?

My mom. She knows I've been staying somewhere instead of Neriah's.

I freeze. This could be bad news. Across from me, Neriah notices the silent conversation that Isabel and I are having. She tilts her head, a silent question asking if everything is ok. I give her a small smile in response and she goes back to checking the batteries in the torches.

And how did Dillon come into the conversation? I ask, already dreading the direction the conversation is going in.

Matt told our mom that I'm dating Dillon. He claims to have panicked.

Dillon?

Dillon.

I don't understand. Why not Ethan? Ethan would have gladly covered for you.

I'm guessing he was thinking so much about Dillon that his was the first name that popped into Matt's head.

It's all I can do not to get up and walk away from the conversation, not because of Isabel, but because of Matt's unbelievable tactlessness.

So how did Neriah and Matt get upset with each other?

Well I chewed out Matt for panicking and then… Isabel trails off, starting to look guilty. I kind of did just snap at him a little about the whole Dillon thing.

Isabel…

Yeah, I know. I let my anger get the better of me. Anyway, Neriah actually ended up agreeing with me. Matt hasn't told her anything about what's going on with Dillon either and she doesn't like him keeping secrets any more than the rest of us do. Matt, being Matt, got all defensive and went to sulk in his room. He's barely spoken to either of us all morning.

So, once again, Matt has made things worse for himself, I think - to myself this time. I give Isabel the smallest of nods in acknowledgement of her last thought and return to our shared task. The headache that has been impending all morning finally creeps in as I stuff a few more spare batteries into the kits, settling in uncomfortably behind my right eye.

Whilst we work, Matt remains stood over the maps in the corner, shuffling them around every now and then as if looking for something. The shuffling, however, seems oddly paced, at slightly too-regular intervals, and I have a sneaking suspicion that he's not really looking at the maps at all.

"I think that's everything," I finally announce as I zip up the last pack.

As if on queue, Isabel's phone begins to buzz in her pocket. She pulls it out and peers at the cracked screen, then swipes across it to answer.

"Jimmy?" she asks. For a moment, there's only the faint tinny sound of Jimmy talking and then Isabel frowns, looking over at me with a confused expression. "Jimmy says he's outside?"

Now it's my turn to frown. "Why didn't he just ask me for entry?"

Isabel shrugs and hangs up the phone. "He says he has a surprise for us."

I mentally open the door to my chambers for Jimmy, and soon hear him making his way down the hallway to us. Just as Jimmy's footsteps approach, I hear another, more hesitant, pair of footsteps behind him, following him in from outside. For a moment, I'm about to raise the alarm. No outsider has ever managed to find their way into my chambers before, but it was always a risk that someone could slip in behind a Guard member unnoticed. Luckily there are protocols in place in how to deal with that, should it ever happen. I'm running though all of them when a small snippet of poorly-concealed thought slips it's way into my mind. It's a sensation of nervousness, and from a familiar mind.

Matt, I notice, has heard the same thing I have, and has whirled around to face the door. For once he looks pleased, and as relieved as I feel.

Jimmy makes his appearance with a broad smile on his face. He's dressed unusually casually, trading in his normal shirts and nicely fitted jeans for a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt with "Melbourne City" emblazoned across the front.

"I brought a surprise with me for everyone," he says, reaching his arm out behind the door frame.

Despite hearing a snippet of his thoughts a moment ago, that doesn't make seeing Ethan in the flesh any less thrilling. Isabel beats everyone else to him, tackling him in a hug so ferocious that he's nearly knocked to the floor. He staggers backwards dramatically, nearly crashing into Jimmy who skilfully weaves out of the way, but returns the hug with equal ferocity. His eyes are screwed shut tight for a moment, and when he opens them it's clear that he's on the verge of tears.

Overall, Ethan's time in self-imposed isolation seems to have been terrible on him. He's skinnier than I've ever seen him, having lost more weight in three weeks than should be humanly possible. His clothes are hanging off of him, making him look like a sad, tired scarecrow. His eyes are sunken into his skull and have bags underneath them almost big enough to carry another round of supplies down into Veridian with us.

Isabel is having a hard time letting Ethan go, gripping him tightly to her. When she releases him though, I instinctively pull him straight over to me and envelop him in a - much gentler - hug of my own. He dutifully wraps his arms around me and sniffles quietly into my chest. It occurs to me that I haven't held Ethan like this since he was very small, when his mind was a lot more fragile than that of the grown man in front of me today. To go through everything he's been through and still be standing is remarkable. Pride swells in me and I squeeze him just a little bit tighter, mostly because he's here and I can.

"Oh no, don't you start," Ethan complains, wriggling away from me. "I'm not going to have ribs if you all keep squeezing me like this."

"I'll be gentle, I promise," Neriah says as she puts her arms around Ethan too. Ethan pats her warmly on the back before turning to Matt, who's now joined us in the centre of the room.

"It's good to see you Ethan," Matt says as he clasps Ethan's hand in a half-handshake before pulling him in and clapping him on the back.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too," Ethan says, awkwardly smiling at each of us in turn. "So… did I miss anything exciting?"

There's an awkward pause before Matt's voice sounds in my head.

Let's not say anything for now. Ethan can be thoroughly briefed later.

"Mostly just a lot of hard work recovering materials for the Guard," I reply hastily, before our silence can become too prolonged.

"Oh. Well, that's good. I do like not having to do any hard work," Ethan says with a nod. He offers a weak smile and fidgets uncomfortably. "Anyway I heard you might need someone who can move things with their mind?"

"That's certainly a useful skill to have around," I remark. "Do you have any recommendations on where one might find such a talented individual?"

"Yeah, I might know a guy."

Luckily, Ethan has bought his own supplies with him, so after a quick top up of equipment from Isabel we're all ready to go. Jimmy takes charge of the maps, although in theory I should be able to navigate us from memory alone. Matt and Neriah limber up, ready to clear the water out of our way as much as they can. Neriah flexes her fingers experimentally over a glass of water, making the liquid float in bubbles around us.

"Cool!" Ethan exclaims softly as he pokes at one of the bubbles. The bubble promptly explodes, startling Neriah and in turn making them all pop. Water splatters onto the floor and onto us all, Neriah getting the worst of it. The water dampens her hair and runs down her nose. Neriah sees the funny side of it and giggles as Ethan tries to dry her off with his hoodie sleeve, apologising for the abrupt chaos.

"It's fine, honestly," Neriah says as Ethan pats her nose, catching a droplet hanging off of the end. "I'm pretty terrible with elemental stuff. I have a tendency to make things go crazy. Just don't let me near any fire."

Her comment surprises me. I had difficulty myself when learning to harness my elemental skills, the third of my natural-born powers after summoning objects and truthseeing. The manipulation and commanding of fire, however, always came easiest to me. I cannot create an element out of nothing, but all one needs for a raging inferno is the tiniest spark. After that, it's a simple matter of feeding or starving the flame. Water was always the hardest for me to control. Water demands a level of freedom and flexibility that is difficult to harness. I wouldn't have been able to move water as easily as Neriah can after only a few short weeks of training. Although, upon reflection, it's possible for her to have had years of training already in Athens.

Isabel helps me to drain out as much of the lake water as we can via my central consoles. She's navigating the consoles with little difficulty now, flipping switches as if she's been using them her entire life.

"How much water can we drain out of Veridian from up here?" she asks.

"Enough to get down to the first two levels, I think."

"Where are we even draining it to?"

"Back into the lake. There are suction pipes that lead back up as well as the pipes leading down, so that should help to restore some of the water levels up there," I reply.

"I'm sure the fish of Angel Falls will be very grateful," Isabel remarks.

"Indeed. We can always ask Neriah to get some feedback from them."

"Excellent. I'll send her down there with a clipboard and a snorkel. Get a few reviews."

"And how would you persuade her to go down there? She does outrank you, you know."

"I'll tell her it's important Guard business?"

"In what way would it be important Guard business?"

"Guard members… Australasian fish division?"

I chuckle. "I thought you would have led with post-battle environmental recuperation."

"Don't be silly, Kar," Isabel snorts. "That's far too realistic. No one would ever believe us."

We laugh quietly together for a few minutes whilst the pumps work their magic. The console beeps at us for a few seconds as each level is cleared, before issuing a high-pitched whine when the pumps finally fail. To my pleasant surprise, the first three levels have been cleared, as well as most of the fourth. The main city itself is still entirely flooded, unfortunately.

"How's it looking?" Matt asks from behind us, making Isabel jump.

"Levels one to three are clear. Level four is looking good but we will still be about waist deep," I reply.

Matt nods thoughtfully. "That should be fine. I can create an air pocket for the rest of our descent."

"Will that even work?" Isabel asks doubtfully. "How far down is the city? I've been diving before, Matt. Water pressure alone could kill us before we even reach Veridian."

"Yeah, but with an air-pocket-"

"-I'm not asking if you can create an air pocket, I know you can. I'm asking if you are going to be able to sustain an air pocket under tonnes of pressure from the water above you. If the pocket fails, we could be crushed. That's if we don't drown first."

"That won't happen," Matt replies stoically. He's clearly offended by Isabel's questioning of his abilities.

I, for one, am inclined to believe Matt. If it were me trying to hold together an air pocket thousands of feet below water I would have some doubts, but Matt is an Immortal, more powerful than everyone else in the room put together. Isabel, on the other hand, is less impressed, and rolls her eyes dramatically as Matt walks away.

"That won't happen," she repeats in a quiet mocking tone.

"Isabel…" I chastise.

"What? He's being a dickhead!"

"You're never going to make up if you keep that up."

"Maybe I don't want to make up with him if he's going to continue to be a dick."

"Isabel…"

Isabel sighs and buries her face in my chest.

"Yeah, I know," she says. "He's still my brother and I still love him etcetera, etcetera. I'll get over it."

She gives my hand a quick squeeze before rejoining the others. Matt is in deep discussion now with Jimmy, pointing at different locations on the maps. Circled in red are some of the spots where Jimmy has stationed elaborate traps, some of which seem to be directly along our route. Matt doesn't look at Isabel as she approaches, keeping his head buried firmly in the maps. Off to the side, Neriah keeps giving Matt sad, sideways glances when she thinks Ethan isn't looking. Bizarrely, I find myself feeling sorry for Matt. He has a sister and a girlfriend who care about him so much, but he's too stubborn to see that the people around him just have his best interests at heart.

"Right!" Jimmy announces, folding the map up and pocketing it. "Are we all ready for a little trip down to sunny Veridian?"

"Ready," Ethan replies.

"Yes!" Neriah chips in.

"Let's go, already!" Isabel says, pulling her sword handle from her jacket pocket.

"Alrighty, then! Isabel and Arkarian, are you still good to take the lead?"

I nod in reply and take my place at the front of the group, Isabel at my side. Matt and Neriah fall in behind us, leaving a noticeable gap between them large enough for both Jimmy and Ethan to fit into if they were but a few feet closer. Ethan looks increasingly anxious in comparison to Jimmy's apparent ease, but Jimmy reaches over and pats him on the shoulder, giving Ethan a reassuring thumbs up.

We all cram into what would normally be a somewhat oversized closet, although it feels more like stuffing oneself into a regular-sized closet with the six of us. I reach out and push in the fake panel that lies at the back of the room until it clicks.

"You should put some things in here," Matt says from behind me as the panel disappears, taking the rest of the wall with it. "This room is too obviously empty. If someone gets in here they could figure out that this is the way down into Veridian."

"If someone gets in here, Matt, I think we have much more pressing worries than my supply closet looking suspicious," I reply drily.

Someone could de-alphabetize your library, for one, Isabel thinks.

Now that would be the real tragedy.

Everyone assembles neatly in the back room unveiled by the missing wall before it begins its descent downwards. According to my console, from the first layer of Veridian's entrance we should be able to make our way at least as far as the Prophecy Wall with little difficulty.

The lift comes to a stop and a soft wave of cool air washes over us. I breathe it in greedily, enjoying the strong earthy scent that pervades the air down here. The smell reminds me somewhat of Isabel, I realise. She always smells like the outdoors - fresh air, petrichor, and wood. I wonder if that will fade after she's spent years in my chambers with me. Do I smell like dust and rock? Will she?

For a moment I'm confused at the amount of light down here until I turn and see Isabel has already activated her sword, creating a blade made of her own inner light that illuminates our surrounding area. The sword also has the added bonus of casting a pretty white-gold glow across her face, making her look for all the world like an angel.

Behind Isabel, Matt is passing out the same glowing crystals that I recognise from our second trip into the Underworld. He quietly instructs the others on how to use them as I drape the one he hands to me around my neck. Isabel pushes gently ahead of me and down the first few stairs ahead of us, peering into the seemingly-impenetrable dark.

"Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?" Ethan asks, eliciting sounds of amusement from Jimmy and Matt.

"It looks clear as far as I can make out," Isabel replies. "Shall we?"

There's a tug at my sleeve as we make our way down the steps towards Isabel's forward position. It's Neriah, looking confused.

"Legolas?" she whispers.

"The Lord of the Rings," I whisper back.

"Oh. I haven't seen or read that one. I've heard of it, though."

"I have the books. They're very good. I'll lend them to you," I promise. "I think Matt was making a reference to the films, though. I didn't recognise the quote."

"Thanks," Neriah says with a smile, the happiest I've seen her so far today.

I smile back at her fondly. I've come to like Neriah a great deal, and it's always nice to have someone else around who doesn't understand everyone else's references. We can occasionally serve as each other's pop culture translators, or share in our mutual bemusement.

The first part of our descent into Veridian is easy, passing the familiar carvings and reliefs that adorn the passageway and keeping a tight formation as we go. Eventually we begin to see some signs of water damage. The flooding shouldn't have risen quite this high, but the moisture seems to have permeated the earthen walls from lower down and spread upwards. Disappointingly, the sodden walls have had a negative effect on some of the mosaics that adorn sections of the walls, leaving littered tiles along the steps that crunch underfoot. Perhaps the saddest of all, my favourite mosaic has been hit particularly hard. Poor Athena is missing her nose and Pallas is missing her head entirely.

"What's it of?" Isabel asks, nodding towards the ruined artwork.

I hadn't even realised that I'd stopped walking until I see that everyone else is stood still behind us.

"The death of Pallas," I reply. I allow my hands to ghost delicately over the tiles - a luxury I've never afforded myself before. I've always been too worried about the damage that my hands could cause to such old and fragile art.

"Pallas? Isn't that the woman Athena killed?" Ethan asks.

"Only accidentally. Pallas was Athena's best friend. During a sparring match one day Zeus, fearing that Pallas was going to best Athena - his favourite daughter - distracted Pallas with the Aegian shield. Athena expected Pallas to dodge her blows, but as Pallas was looking away she didn't see Athena's spear in time. Athena impaled her right through the heart. She was heartbroken, and took the title 'Pallas Athena' to honour her friend. This mosaic depicted the moment Pallas died in Athena's arms. It was very moving." I struggle to keep my voice from cracking as I talk. I feel strangely emotional.

Isabel runs her fingers along the outline of Pallas's missing head thoughtfully.

"This must have been down here for thousands of years."

I nod in agreement. "It was. You should have seen it when it was new."

"New?" Ethan asks incredulously. "Is this your way of telling us you've been lying about your age?"

His comment makes me chuckle softly. I don't reply, relishing in the bewilderment on his face. It suits him far better than the exhaustion that was previously etched there.

Jimmy steps forward, raising his crystal pendant high above his head. He studies the mosaic closely for a moment before turning back to face the group.

"I think I can fix this," he says. He peers around our feet at all of the tiles that have fallen to the ground.

"The walls are soaked through. I don't think that the tiles will stick, even if they can be reassembled," I say.

"I can fix that," Matt announces, to my surprise. A look of dreamy serenity crosses his face as he stares at the wall. After a few moments, gentle streams of water trickle out of the wall, flowing steadily down to the ground. As the streams thin out into nothing, the wall begins to look bone dry again.

"Much better," Jimmy says.

He runs his own hands along the mosaic and the tiles at our feet suddenly jump to attention. They begin to hover in mid-air before whirling around Jimmy's hands, slotting themselves obediently in place one by one.

"This is fun," Jimmy remarks as he works. "Like a jigsaw puzzle."

The mosaic is even better than I remember once fully reassembled. It truly is amazing how clearly all-consuming grief is portrayed on Athena's face using just tiny multi-coloured tiles. Isabel's sword-light dances off of the tiles, giving the illusion that Anthena's tears really are tracking their way down her cheeks.

"Do you have any more?" Jimmy asks jokingly. "I could do that all day. Much more relaxing than trying to excavate a flooded ancient city."

"I thought you had to hold things together to fix them?" Isabel asks.

"Not since Lorian boosted our powers. Holding them together is still much easier though," Jimmy replies. He steps back to admire his handiwork approvingly. "Still, it is very pretty. Worth the extra effort."

We stand together in silence for a moment taking the mosaic in. Isabel slides her hand into mine and rests her head against my arm. For a second it's easy to forget that we're hundreds, if not thousands, feet below the earth, in a dark and narrow passageway heading down into a ruined ancient city. We could be any group of friends stood in the sunlight of Athens, or even Rome, basking in the beauty of the latest mosaic to spring up on the side of some marble temple or in a public thoroughfare.

All too soon, Matt reminds us that we need to move on. Isabel keeps a few steps ahead of me, sword held aloft as we make our way past more ruined mosaics and surprisingly untouched statues.

"I feel like a tour guide," she jokes as we walk. "Like the ones with the bright red umbrellas or the signs on sticks? And if you look to your left, you'll see a statue of a minotaur with one of it's horns missing. If you look to your right, you'll see a blank wall."

We walk for nearly an hour, eventually having to get into single file for the narrower parts of the stairwell. Neriah is directly behind me, followed by Matt, then Ethan, and finally Jimmy right at the back, whistling a cheery tune as we go. It occurs to me that I've never been down here with so many people at one time - the way seems narrower somehow, as if the water-logged earth is pressing in on us from all sides.

It's a relief to see the seemingly bottomless chasm cutting it's way across the wide open cave when we reach it. Far below, I can hear the gentle sounds of running water floating up to us. We've successfully made it to the second level of Veridian.

"How do we know if the bridge is still there?" Isabel asks with a frown, dropping her arm to her side.

"Shotgun not going across first," Ethan chimes in.

I bend down, scooping up a small handful of pebbles from the ground. The invisible bridge that crosses the chasm begins directly opposite the opening to the stairway we just came down, so I throw a couple in that direction. All but one skitter across the invisible floor, looking to the outside observer as though they are now suspended in mid-air. One pebble, unfortunately, rolls further than the others and suddenly drops straight down into the abyss below.

"It could just be one part of the bridge that's out?" Neriah says hopefully.

"Or it could be the entire middle section," Matt replies bitterly. "We'll have to use our wings."

"What about Isabel? We can't just leave her here," Ethan says, folding his arms.

Isabel positively glows as she smiles at Ethan, touched by his thoughtfulness and bursting with excitement to tell him her good news. When she does so, Ethan beams back at her and gives her an enthusiastic high-five.

"Damn straight!" he says as he gives her another close hug.

Pride lights up his face, the same pride I felt when Ethan was awarded his wings, no doubt. There's nothing better than seeing your apprentice go forth and achieve everything that you hope for them. Ethan is right to be proud - even with Isabel's own exceptional abilities he has proven himself to be a talented trainer. There's a reason he was chosen to train a Tribunal member.

"There is one problem," Isabel says as he releases her. "I haven't even tried to use my wings yet. And I don't really feel like trying them for the first time over a bottomless abyss."

"I can take you across," Matt says, rolling up his sleeves.

"We'll get to practicing ASAP," Ethan promises Isabel with another smile.

I knew getting Ethan out with everyone would be good for him, Jimmy thinks aloud. I nod in agreement, giving Jimmy an approving smile. The longer we're together, the more like his old self Ethan is becoming. It will take a while for him to heal fully, but at least he knows he has friends to support him through this.

Jimmy is first across the cavern, so far away that I can barely make out the glow of his pendant in the darkness. It makes a useful marker to aim for, and Neriah and Ethan are by his side in seconds. Matt puts an arm around Isabel, and in the next moment they, too, have made it safely to the other side. I go last, appearing next to Isabel, who's already wriggling away from Matt with an annoyed expression.

Everything ok? I ask mentally.

Yeah, I just don't want to be near Matt for longer than I have to be.

I manage to restrain a sigh. A war between Isabel and Matt is sure to be long and bitter if one of them doesn't step up and apologise to the other soon. Matt would never admit it, but he can be just as stubborn as Isabel when he wants to be, and Isabel, for all of her many virtues, is not one for who forgives easily. However if Isabel truly wants to help heal the rift between Matt and the other members of the Guard, she would do well to work on the rift between the two of them first. One of them needs to be the bigger person, and I can't see it being Matt.

We encounter further difficulties as we move onward from the bridge. The way has always been blocked by piles of boulders and inconvenient streams marring the landscape, but the flooding has caused havoc. We pick our way delicately forward, Matt diverting the now much wider than usual streams where possible, and attempting to ring the moisture out of the ground as he does so. Despite his best efforts, Jimmy still nearly loses a shoe to a particularly muddy patch, and it takes Ethan using his telekinesis to wrench the boot out.

When at last we reach the sheer cliff's edge that descends to the third level of Veridian, we all drop our packs to the floor and begin setting up our ropes for the abseil down. Isabel gives everyone's ropes the once over before making to head over the edge first. Matt puts his arm out to stop her, provoking her ire once more.

"What now?" she snaps.

"Chill out, I was just going to give you a pendant!" Matt snaps back. "Or were you going to just put your sword in your mouth and risk disintegrating your rope the second you have to turn your head?"

Isabel snatches the pendant Matt offers her with a scowl, and throws it haphazardly around her neck. She pockets her sword once more, significantly reducing our visibility, and throws herself over the cliff's edge without a moment's hesitation.

Once there was a grand staircase here that descended all the way down to the fifth and final level of the ancient city. Now all that remains is a wide ledge below us that leads into the third level. Isabel lands on the ledge with the soft squelch of boots meeting muddy floor and illuminates her sword once again. I make my way down next with a somewhat nervous Neriah, who apparently does not have much of a head for heights.

"I can't believe Isabel does this for fun," she grumbles as she screws her eyes shut.

"Nobody has ever claimed that Isabel was a normal person," I laugh, reaching out with my free hand to give her shoulder a quick squeeze.

"I heard that!" Isabel shouts from below us.

"I didn't know you were afraid of heights," I continue quietly.

Neriah shakes her head and shrugs. "I didn't used to be. It came on after Lathenia had me in that cage."

"Much less fun after you've spent a couple of days suspended in mid-air," I agree.

We hit the ground quickly, and Isabel helps us untie ourselves. Jimmy and Ethan make their way down next, and then Matt throws everyone's ropes down to us.

"Um… Matt? Won't we need these to get back up?" Ethan calls up as he catches his rope.

"No," Matt replies, appearing at Ethan's side and making him jump comically backwards. "I'm going to transport us all back out."

"Why couldn't you just transport us in in the first place?"

"Veridian is protected, you know that."

"So you can get us out, just not in?"

"Exactly," Matt says as he makes his way forward to where Isabel is standing at the entrance to another tunnel. "All of the protections around Veridian are designed at keeping unwanted visitors out. There's nobody in Veridian, so no need for keeping people in."

"But aren't you Mr Supreme Immortal now? What's so strong that it could keep even you out?"

"Magic," I reply solemnly. Matt flicks me an irritated look over his shoulder, as if I'm divulging a great secret, but I've told Ethan this before when he was much younger on our first visit down here. "Very old and very strong magic that was designed to keep an Immortal out in the first place. Heaven knows what kind of destruction the goddess could have unleashed should she have managed to take the city. I imagine Matt has been working some very complex magic of his own since we got down here, fighting the enchantments that must be trying to keep him out."

Matt grunts in the affirmative then falls silent. Neriah, meanwhile, is frowning and waving her arms out in front of her face.

"I don't feel anything," she whispers to me. "Why aren't the enchantments affecting me too? Is it because I'm not an immortal by blood?"

"I think perhaps Matt is shouldering the burden."

Neriah looks unhappy with my answer, stuffing her hands in her pockets and keeping her head down as we walk. In an attempt to lift her spirits, I try to point out the remnants of Veridian's art and architecture as I remember them, but it's a difficult task when most things are no longer there or are half-destroyed. She nods and murmurs words of agreement occasionally, but mostly she just looks sad.

We pause about halfway down the tunnel as we encounter a particularly nasty cave-in. Ethan mentally shifts a few rocks from the top and then scrambles up as high as he can to peer through the opening he's created.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" he asks as he descends back down towards us.

"Good news," Jimmy replies before anyone else can answer. "What can I say, I'm an optimist."

"Good news is I'm pretty sure I can clear it."

"And the bad news?" Isabel asks.

"Well the cave-in goes pretty far back, and it looks like it's knocked all the way through into that room with the red and blue beams. And some of the boulders have frozen so I might not be able to move them at all - but we'll still be able to climb over the stop. And we would then drop down straight into the beams so if we can't angle it right one of us pathetic mortals might be trading in a fabulous career with the Guard for a much less fabulous career as an ice sculpture. I can try and clear out absolutely all of the rocks, maybe, but it will take a long time."

"Well, shit," Isabel says, leaning up against the wall.

"Can you see how far back it goes?" Matt asks.

"Like twenty or so metres? It's pretty far."

"Ok. Let's stop for a snack or something whilst we figure out a strategy. We can get through quicker if we all pitch in, but we'll need our strength."

I summon a couple of pieces of tarp for us to all sit on, a barrier to protect our pants from the muddy floor. Jimmy, Ethan and Matt all sit huddled around one corner, discussing how best to shift the rocks. Jimmy is most concerned for the structural integrity of the cave, and keeps one hand on the wall as he eats to feel for any weaknesses around us.

"I don't want to start shifting rubble only to find out that's the only thing holding the roof up," he explains.

"Which begs the question how much of that rubble is the roof," Matt replies thoughtfully. "Could you fix it instead?"

"Would if I could, but I don't have that kind of juice."

"What about a patch job?" Ethan chimes in. "Jimmy fixes any structural weakness as we go - I throw the useless rocks out of the way."

They continue their discussion quietly over sandwiches, heads together. Isabel and Neriah sit next to me, making good use of the mud by playing noughts and crosses with the end of a pencil. I pull an apple out of my pack and eat it as I watch their games with interest. To my surprise, wins most of the games with ease, with Isabel only salvaging one win and a couple of draws. Isabel, ever the sore loser, pouts as she eats her trail mix. I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her in close to me, kissing the top of her head.

"You tried your best."

"Don't patronise me," Isabel grumbles in response. She's clearly joking around, gesturing with two fingers between my eyes and hers, a playful smirk on her face.

"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise!" a voice says from behind us. It's Jimmy, smiling down at us. "Can I steal Isabel for a second? Looks like we might need her."

"Want me to stab some rocks?" Isabel asks, yanking her sword up from where she has stuck it upright in the ground, still illuminated. She mimes stabbing ahead of her as she gets to her feet.

"Please don't stab the rocks until we're sure they aren't important to the tunnel," Jimmy replies as they head over to where Matt and Ethan are still sat talking.

A silence settles between Neriah and myself - Neriah smoothing out the muddy ground, and me munching on the remainder of my apple. Suddenly, a muddy pencil appears in my line of vision, along with Neriah's fingers.

"Want a game?" she asks.

"I'd like that" I reply honestly. "Although I should warn you, living alone in a cave has made me quite good at noughts and crosses."

Neriah scoffs. "I was the only kid on an island for most of my life. I'm a noughts and crosses master."

True to her word, Neriah is very good at noughts and crosses. I don't lose quite as badly as Isabel, managing to at least draw on most of our quick little matches in the mud. Neriah reaches three victories before I do - declaring her overall champion of noughts and crosses.

"Do you play chess at all?" I ask.

She nods and smiles. "I do. Would you like me to beat you at that sometime, too?"

"I'd like that very much," I laugh.

"It's a date," she replies. As she speaks she leans forward to peer over my shoulder at the progress the others are making.

Matt and Jimmy are now on their feet, Matt stood stock still with his eyes closed in concentration and Jimmy leant with both hands on the wall as high as he can reach. Piece by piece, rocks fly up into the ceiling, lodging into place. Even more impressive is the sheer volume of grit flying upwards in a steady river. I can hardly believe that Jimmy is able to repair the ceiling in such intricate detail - even with Matt's aid. It's a true testament to his ability.

"Is that fun too, Jimmy?" Isabel asks from her seat on the floor. She's leant up against Ethan, arm hooked in between his.

Once upon a time, the sight of Isabel tangled up with Ethan would have caused a deeply uncomfortable twisting feeling deep in my gut, but that was before we were together, and I thought I had no hope of a future with her. Strange, how such a short space of time can change everything. Now I'm just relieved that Ethan has such a close friend who can be there for him during such a difficult time. Isabel has always been a very openly affectionate person as long as I've known her, and physical touch is her primary way of showing that. She's always hugging her friends, wrapping her arms around people and generally just violating other people's personal space (usually with their permission). Maybe what Ethan really needs at this point is just a hug.

"Can't say I think this is going to turn out as pretty as that mosaic," Jimmy comments.

"No offence to the Atlanteans, but I think not being buried under a pile of rock looks a damn sight prettier than a picture," Matt says flatly.

"At least you'd be ok," Jimmy replies. "Just a bit flatter than usual."

"Matthew Becket - pancake god," Isabel comments, eliciting sniggering from Ethan.

After a thumbs-up from Jimmy, Ethan begins transporting away the rocks left behind in a neat orderly line whilst Isabel stabs at the larger boulders that look to be frozen in place. It takes a short while, but eventually the way is cleared. Before we can make our way through, Jimmy throws a few pebbles experimentally through the beams that haven't been totally destroyed. The pebbles fly safely through the blue beams and drop quickly to the ground after being frozen solid by the red beams.

Isabel rolls up the sleeves of her jumper, wrapping up her messy ponytail into an equally messy bun.

"I'm not ruining another jumper," she says as she catches Ethan's eye. She shakes herself out, preparing to vault between the remaining beams.

"Um… can I ask a question?" Neriah asks from behind me as Isabel takes her first flying leap between two red beams that hang in front of us.

"Sure," Isabel replies as she springs upright, coming dangerously close to another red beam above her. If she were just an inch taller, I would be carrying a very frozen Isabel back up to the surface. It takes all of my willpower to not instinctively point the near-miss out to her, but she wouldn't appreciate my fussing. "Do you want a hand getting through?"

"I'm ok, thanks. I'm just wondering why we used our wings to get across the bridge, but we had to abseil down the cliff and manually clear the cave-in to get through here?"

There's a long pause, and we all look at each other in silence. It's Isabel who breaks first.

"Are you kidding me? Did all you geniuses forget that you had wings?"

"You didn't say anything either!" Ethan says defensively.

"I've had wings for like a day, I'm allowed to forget about them!"

"Don't look at me," Neriah chimes in. "I thought there was another top-secret magical reason why we couldn't use them. Like maybe your wings get harder to use the closer you get to the city."

"They do, actually," I confirm. "You cannot use them at all beyond the Prophecy wall. Up here, though, we should still be able to use them."

"So what I'm hearing is that you guys are all dumb as rocks and Neriah is currently carrying the Named's one shared braincell," Isabel jokes. She's continued to forge her way forward, and pirouettes neatly over a nearby beam as she turns back to face us. She pokes her tongue out at me playfully before continuing. "Arkarian has it every other day, obviously, but today is definitely not his day."

I laugh and take this opportunity to use my wings to join Isabel on the other side of the chamber. She crawls under the last beam and I help her up from the floor, wiping as much mud as I can off of her jeans. As I do so, she sticks her middle finger up at the last beam and mutters something about a lost favourite jumper again. I'm sensing that there is a story behind Isabel's indignation at Veridian's traps, and I make a mental note to ask her about it later.

Everyone else follows us across quickly, looking for the most part red-faced and somewhat embarrassed. I see little point in the embarrassment. We're all tired and stressed and have many other things to focus on as well as our current task. It's no surprise that we are forgetting some very basic information when we're so focused on trying to keep ourselves together. Still, for the most part we're all smiling small, sheepish smiles, except for Matt who looks as grumpy as ever.

"Right, so are we all ok to meet at the Prophecy wall?" Matt asks.

Everyone nods in reply except Ethan, who raises his hand in the air.

"In theory, yes. But what did you mean about it getting hard to use your wings the closer you get to Veridian?" he asks.

"Veridian is designed to repel visitors," I explain. "When you concentrate on your destination, you will find your mind wandering. It's vital that you fight the urge, or you'll end up right back where we started."

Ethan shifts awkwardly in place, concerned. "Right. Um… I haven't been too good at keeping my head in one place much lately so…" he trails off, waving a hand in the air.

"We'll stay with you," Isabel says with a smile. "Won't we?" She looks up at me as she asks the last question. I can't say no to her sweet expression, and it will be good to spend some extra time with Ethan. Having him back with us has reinforced how sorely I was missing him.

I nod and give Isabel and Ethan a smile. "Of course. It's not too far now, we can catch up if you want to go ahead. It will give Jimmy a chance at opening the gates to Veridian proper, and Matt and Neriah can prepare to move the massive amounts of water we're sure to encounter." At the mention of his name, I glance over at Matt. "Is that ok with you?"

Matt's expression is virtually unreadable as he looks between the three of us. "I don't like the idea of splitting up," he says finally. "But I like the idea of Ethan being bounced out of here alone even less. Keep in contact. If something goes wrong, just leave immediately." He looks over at me, making eye contact for the first time today. "If you need to, can you get Isabel out of here safely?"

"I can."

"Good. Then we'll meet you there," he says, promptly vanishing before our eyes.

Neriah and Jimmy give us somewhat warmer goodbyes before following suit and heading straight down to the Prophecy wall, leaving Ethan, Isabel and I to walk the rest of the way.

"Nice to know that I'm not the buzzkill of the group today," Ethan says as we make our way to the silver door at the end of the chamber.

"He's been like that ever since the battle," Isabel replies, lacing her fingers through mine. "I know he's got a lot of stuff going on, but he's being a real asshole."

"He's not so bad," Ethan says. "He helped to fix Arkarian's mosaic for him."

"For me?" I ask incredulously.

It hadn't occurred to me that Matt's aid in repairing the mosaic of Athena and Pallas was a gesture of kindness - possibly even friendship. Matt and I have settled quite comfortably into tolerating each other for Isabel's sake, but ignoring each other outside of when we're forced to interact. Matt doesn't care for my relationship with Isabel, and I don't care for his judgement (and, upon multiple occasions, his rudeness), but we can agree that Isabel is very important to us both. Admittedly, it would be nice if we could heal the rift between the two of us. Perhaps Matt was attempting to be the bigger man and make the first move.

Isabel shrugs and shakes her head. "So he does one nice thing, big whoop."

"Isabel…" I begin.

"What, Kar? He's being a dick, and you can't deny it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ethan cuts in. "Sorry to interject, but… did you just call him Kar?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Like…" Ethan raises his arms in the air and mimes honking a car horn. "Beep beep?"

I feel my face heating up. Isabel's shortened name for me isn't something that I'd given much thought to before. In truth, I actually quite like it. Although it may seem an obvious thing to do, to shorten a name as long as mine, nobody has actually done it before. When I first came to the Guard I didn't even know that my name was Arkarian. It was Lorian who told me what my real name was when I first became his apprentice, after years of being different names depending on which 'home' I lived in. I remember that I didn't like my real name at first - it seemed very strange and foreign to me, and difficult to pronounce in my native French. Lorian refused to allow me to keep my name at the time, Jehan, I think it was, and impressed upon me how important it was to have an identity not forced upon me by barely-tolerable adoptive 'parents'. Arkarian, he told me, was a name given to me by someone who loved me. At the time, I assumed that he meant my mother, but it makes no sense that a fifteenth century French girl would have picked out such a strange name. Arkarian must be a name from my father's realm. I never thought to ask. Kar is Isabel's personal name for me, a sweet diminutive from somebody else who loves me too. Apparently neither of us had taken a moment to think about the perils of naming a person something that sounds like a mode of transport.

Ethan, however, chooses to revel in his delight at Isabel's diminutive of my name.

"So, Mitsubishi, is us walking going to delay us by much?" he asks cheerily as we pass the silver door that requires a wish to enter the maze that leads to the Prophecy wall.

"I don't know what a Mitsubishi is," I reply. "But in answer to your question - no. We aren't far at all, and I remember the way through the maze quite clearly."

"Cool. A Mitsubishi is a car, like you, apparently."

"You're never going to drop this, are you?"

"No way, Coupé."

We weave our way through the maze, with me leading the way. It's been a long time since I was down here, but the route through the maze is apparently seared into my brain. We don't take a single wrong turn along the way, which is a good thing considering Jimmy has installed many more traps along the way for unwary infiltrators.

As we turn the last corner, I find myself walking almost straight into Neriah, who has been waiting by the exit of the maze with a tense expression.

"Oh thank god you're here!" she exclaims with relief.

"Is something wrong?" I ask, glancing behind her and seeing only Matt stood with his back to us and arms folded. "Is Jimmy alright?"

"Jimmy's fine, he's just working on the gates into the city," Neriah replies. "We've just encountered a problem that… well… we certainly weren't expecting."

"What is it?"

Before Neriah can reply, Isabel squeezes my hand and points past both Neriah and Matt, to the Prophecy wall itself.

For one jarring moment I think the wall is completely blank. The familiar carved hieroglyphics and markings that once adorned the wall aren't immediately visible from the distance we enter the chamber at. As we approach, however, I can see that the opposite is actually true. The Prophecy wall is now so jam-packed with various letters, images, and other symbols that they're fighting for space with each other.

"What the fuck?" Ethan asks softly. He's at my side, gazing up in awe at the wall. I look around for Isabel, who released my hand as I stepped forward, and find her hanging back near the entrance looking deeply uncomfortable.

Are you ok? I ask her mentally.

She shakes her head in response, seemingly unable to drag her eyes off of the wall. You don't feel that?

Feel what?

The Prophecy wall. It feels… wrong.

"Maybe it's because the war is over?" Ethan suggests, peering closely at the minute carvings that cover every millimetre of free space. "It changed all the time towards the end, right?"

Matt sighs and shakes his head. "Not possible. The Prophecy wall is tied to the words of the original prophets - kind of like Isabel's forerunners. The words can change, yes, but not like this. When the Prophecy was changing it was because…" Matt trails off, glancing over at me for help.

"Ethan do you remember what I told you about time being more like a woven tapestry than a single thread?" I pick up.

"Yes? I think?"

"When someone goes back into the past, with good or ill intent, we don't necessarily change the image on the tapestry, just the thread that we took to get there. Maybe the princess's hair is brunette instead of blonde. Only by changing enough threads can destiny be changed. With enough threads being changed the princess is now a knight, or a witch, etcetera. Some threads are, by their nature, more important than others when it comes to building a picture. The Prophecy followed a single thread - that of the Named. But the Named were an important thread. The Prophecy wall always follows our thread, whether we changed the direction of our thread or not. Now, our thread's role in the blanket is finished - it's created the part of the image it was supposed to create. The Prophecy wall shouldn't need to change any further. Our story has been told, there's nothing left to foretell because it's already happened."

Ethan stares at me blankly. Upon reflection, I don't think the tapestry analogy was the best way to explain the Prophecy wall.

"Basically, the Prophecy was always right because no matter how many times the Order changed the past, and by proxy our timeline, the Prophecy always changed with us. The Order change enough things that put them in the lead over us, the Prophecy says we lose," I summarise. "The Prophecy ended with our victory. It foresaw that we would win, and we did. That's happened. It is historical fact now."

"And my father and I are putting every effort into sealing off the final battle," Matt adds. "No matter what happens with the remnants of the Order from here on in, they will never be able to change the outcome of the final battle."

His statement takes me slightly aback. Sealing off timelines is something that I've never heard of before, and should be beyond the capability of even the most powerful immortal. It would require altering the very fabric of the universe itself. Dartemis must be more powerful than I could ever have imagined.

"So the wall shouldn't change at all anymore?" Ethan asks.

"No way," Matt says. "Even if it did it shouldn't look… like this." He waves his hand in a large ark across the wall at his last word.

"Can we read what it's saying? The last code was straightforward enough, we should still be able to read it even if there's more of it, right?"

I shake my head, sadly. "Look closely, Ethan. This… this is gibberish." I point up, around a metre above our heads. "See that there? That's French. Conjugations of the word 'être' - je suis, tu es, il est, elle est. That has no reason to be up there. It's nonsense. All of it."

As we're talking, Jimmy reappears from a nearby tunnel that's normally hidden from view, cleaning his hands off with a rag. He's whistling merrily as he approaches and gives me a cheery wave.

"What do you make of our new Prophecy wall?" he asks, coming to stand on my other side.

"It's disconcerting," I reply honestly.

"How does this thing even work, anyway?" Jimmy asks, rapping the wall with his knuckles. "There's no machinery inside that I can sense. Just carvings on a rock."

"It is just carving on a rock. That's the problem."

Ethan takes a few steps backwards, away from us. "Please don't try to explain it again. My head's hurting."

"We have a member of the Guard based in Niger," Matt says. "She can understand any language you throw at her. We should get her to have a look at this. Most of this is in languages I don't understand. Maybe if we knew what it all said it would make more sense."

"I thought immortals could communicate in any given language too?" I ask.

"We can, given enough concentration. The problem is that Neriah and I don't have anywhere near enough time to sit down here and translate all of this. Better to bring in a specialist who can look at this properly."

As Matt is talking, I look back at Isabel, who's still lingering at the entrance of the maze and deep in quiet conversation with Neriah. She looks worried, which in turn worries me. I walk over to them slowly, trying not to draw attention. As soon as the two of them see me approach, they stop talking immediately.

"Is everything ok?" I ask, resting my hand on the small of Isabel's back.

Neriah glances sheepishly at Isabel, clearly trying to gauge how much she should say.

"It's fine, Ner," Isabel says quietly. "The Prophecy wall. It's like it's calling out to me. I feel like something is coming, but I don't know what. I'm… afraid."

"I won't let anything hurt you," I reassure her, pulling her in closer to me. "You have me, and your friends with you, too. We're all looking out for you."

Isabel nods, eyes cast downwards. Isabel is the strongest person I know, and hates to show her vulnerable side, even to me. Recently, she's been forced to show her softer side more than usual, and it's getting to her.

"You wanna take a closer look?" Neriah asks, voice barely above a whisper. "You heard Jimmy. It's just carved stone. We're right beside you."

Isabel takes a deep breath and raises her head, staring defiantly at the Prophecy wall with a look so ferocious that if the wall were conscious would surely make it turn tail and run. She takes a step forward, then hesitates.

"The feeling gets stronger the closer I get," she murmurs.

"It's ok," Neriah says, coaxing her forwards.

Step by tiny step, we get closer to the Prophecy wall. With every movement forwards, Isabel looks more and more dazed. Her eyes begin to glaze over and her breathing slows. Panicked, I glance over to Matt, who's noticed our cautious approach. Concern marrs his brow.

"You ok, Mulder?" he calls over.

His words seem to draw Isabel temporarily out of her trance. She shakes her head and for a half-second manages to drag her eyes away from the now-ominous Prophecy wall.

"I don't know, Scully."

Mulder? Neriah asks mentally.

I shrug and mouth back the word Scully?

Isabel's condition rapidly deteriorates the closer we get to the wall. Her eyes start to twitch uncontrollably, and she becomes dangerously pale. Her breathing all but stops entirely, as if she's holding her breath. I put my arm firmly around her waist, preparing myself for if she suddenly keels over. A few times I attempt to stop her slow march forward but she just wriggles for freedom, all apparent fear of the wall and it's strange effects gone.

"Matt what's happening?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I don't know. I can't feel anything. Can you?"

I shake my head, trying to focus on keeping Isabel steady. I have no idea what to do if she stops breathing all together, and the idea terrifies me. What does one do when the only healer in the entirety of the Guard is the one who may need healing? Neriah keeps a firm grip on Isabel's other arm, looking as concerned as I feel.

We're only a couple of feet from the wall when Isabel suddenly and firmly pushes our arms away from her. She takes the last few steps by herself, staggering dangerously and one arm outstretched in front of her, reaching hungrily out to the wall. Her eyes are fully closed now.

Isabel takes another step forward. I find that I'm holding my breath too.

Then another.

And another.

Her fingers brush the stone wall at last, and she drops to the floor, screaming in agony.