~March 28th x800~
Golden light shines in her eye as the healer stares into her retina. The smell of antiseptic and herbs clings to the healer's skin, making her dizzy.
"Do you know where you are?" The man with red hair asks.
"No," she says, tone nearly a whisper.
"Follow my finger," the healer instructs. "Don't move your head. Just use your eyes."
She does her best to obey, but her body feels far away.
"Do you remember how you ended up here?" The man asks.
"No." She says. The healer makes a 'hmm' sound as her brow furrows.
She feels her heartbeat spike, and the little monitor set up beside her increases its quiet beeping to match. A hand squeezes her own, and she looks behind her at the young man curled around her back. He smiles. She takes a breath. The beeping slows.
"Do you remember your name?"
She tilts her head to the side at that.
"I… I believe it was.." There was something someone called her once. She closes her eyes. A soft, beautiful voice like a bird song echoes in her memory. "Eris."
"Eris." The young man whispers behind her.
"Just Eris? No surname?" The older man asks. She shakes her head. "Do you know how old you are?"
Eris shakes her head again.
"Approximately 18 to 20 years, based on my readings." The healer scribbles down more notes, squinting at the lights beaming above Eris' head.
"Do you remember anything at all?" The man asks.
Again, she tilts her head and closes her eyes. She remembers... Flowers. A field of flowers surrounding her as far as she could see. She remembers a man, placing his hand on her shoulder, and bending down to whisper in her ear.
Her head flares in throbbing pain as her vision blurs and her lungs gasp for air. The lights above her erupt in an array of reds and oranges as the beeping speeds up ten times faster.
The young man's hand squeezes hers again. She focuses on the sensation and breathes until the wisp of memory fades.
"I can't remember anything," she says. "It's all empty."
"It seems the same spell that kept you in a coma has also locked away your memories." The healer states, running her golden absorbed hands against the Eris' temples. They soothe the ache a little, and Eris' shoulders relax. "I can't say for sure, but I imagine they'll come back once triggered, such as your awakening was. I'm not a memory specialist, though. It may be wise to send you to someone who is. Otherwise, you seem perfectly healthy, so we can wait on deciding for now."
"In the meantime, you're welcome to stat at the guild for as long as you need it." The man holds out his hand, and Eris shakes it. His skin is warm. "I'm Ajax Cinerus. You're about the same size as my daughter, Victoria, so I'm sure she can lend you some clothes for now."
"Thank you." Eris bows her head. "You're very kind."
"I'm Apolla," the healer introduces herself and holds out a small, gold liquid vile. "And you should drink this. It'll help with the headache, but it'll also make you drowsy. You'll feel much better when you wake, though."
"Evander, let's leave Eris to get some sleep." Ajax instructs. The young man stiffens behind her, then sighs.
"Alright," Evander makes to stand, but Eris grabs onto his arm.
"No," she says. "Please stay."
Evander gazes down at her with hazel eyes wide and nods. He doesn't rejoin her on the bed though, instead opting to pull a nearby chair as close as he can get it. Eris lays down slowly, still gripping Evander's hand, her dark eyes trained on him even as they grow heavy. She barely notices Ajax and Apolla leave.
"Will you sing for me again?" She whispers.
Evander nods and clears his throat. His voice is rough, like it's not used to singing, but familiar in a way she can't explain. She focuses on the lyrics. Even though she doesn't understand them, drifting to sleep before she realizes she's closed her eyes. She dreams of princesses and dragons and happily ever afters.
Apolla perches on Ajax's desk as he paces in front of his door.
"You're going to leave a mark." She says. She looks through the papers on his desk.
"He's imprinted on her."
"You don't know that. It's too soon to tell."
"Trust me. I know." Ajax presses his palms to his eyes. "If he's imprinted, he's already moved onto the next stage."
"I'm telling you, it's too soon." She pulls a vial out of her pocket and tosses it at him. "Drink that. You're not thinking straight. I can see the steam coming off you from here."
Ajax pops the cork and downs it in one go. It tastes like chalk, but immediately lowers his heart rate. He stops facing and turns to face Apolla. She raises a brow at him.
"Thank you," he says. "You're right. It is too soon. He hasn't fully imprinted, but his instincts have recognized her as a candidate, and that comes with its own set of problems."
"We can deal with those. I'll begin him on the potions you take. We'll make sure they aren't in life-threatening situations together. And even if he imprints on her, it's unlikely they'll bond, not when she doesn't know the rituals."
"Lina and I bonded. She didn't know the rituals."
"You two also jumped into an active volcano together during a solar eclipse on the summer solstice." Apolla scoffs. "I doubt they'll ever be in the same situation."
"Right. External circumstances." Ajax nods to himself, hand on his chin. "My father was there, too, you know. He was chanting the spell."
"Then there is absolutely nothing to worry about." Apolla flips through the Cinerus book. "And don't act weird with Eris, either! It's not her fault!"
"Are you going to bring that up for the rest of your life? Can you blame me for being angry? She was twelve! You're nine years older than her!"
"And I had absolutely no say in the matter!"
They go through the same points of the familiar argument, voices getting louder until they can almost be heard through the door.
After Eris falls asleep and her hand releases his, Evander feels creepy just sitting and watching her. It's different now that she isn't in a coma and certainly can't hear him while she's unconscious. He leaves, going out into the main hall where Catie and Ria sit camped out near the door. Avon perches on Ria's head while Iris curls around her neck, and Evander realizes his bird shadow has disappeared.
Eris' screaming must have scared them off, he thinks. As annoying as they were, he kind of misses them. Maybe he'll go looking for them later.
His sisters haven't noticed him yet, and it tempts Evander to sneak past them.
"Hey," he says instead.
"Hey!" Catie jumps to her feet. "Everything's alright?"
"Yeah. She has amnesia, but Apolla says she's fine otherwise."
Catie lets out a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad." She smiles at Evander.
He stares at Ria, who makes a point of avoiding his gaze with a slight pout. All plans of apologizing flee from his mind, and he crosses his arms with a glare. After a deep sigh, Catie yanks Ria to her feet and forces her to face Evander. They both refuse to look at each other, and Catie rolls her eyes.
"Do you two even know what you're fighting about anymore?"
"He's a jerk." Ria says.
"She thinks I'm weak." Evander responds.
"In what universe and on what planet have I ever called you weak?" Ria finally makes eye contact with him. "You are so-"
"That's enough." Catie knocks their heads together. Avon nearly falls off with a squeak, pinching Evander's nose for balance, while Iris squeezes Ria's neck so tight, she can't breathe.
"Ouch! Dammit!" Evander yells.
"Catie! What the hell?" Ria gasps and coughs, petting Iris' scales to calm her.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot about them!" Catie waits for her siblings to recover. Her cheeks are red, but she clears her throat. "Evander, you know no one here thinks you're weak. Ria and I know better than anyone about your limitations, and we would never hold them against you."
Evander deflates.
"I know!" He throws up his hands. "I've just been so irritated lately!"
"That doesn't mean you get to take your anger out on me." Ria snaps.
"I know, alright? I'm sorry." Evander sighs and rubs the back of his head. "I shouldn't have fought with you before you left, and I should have tried to make up with you sooner."
Ria holds her pout and crossed arms until Catie clears her throat and gives her a raised brow. The girl sighs and drops her defences.
"I'm sorry too." She says. "I know it's been hard, and I shouldn't have incited you."
"Are we good, then?" Evander holds out a hand for a fist bump. Ria knocks her knuckles against his.
"Yeah." She grins a little. "We're good."
"Look at you two learning to be responsible adults." Catie squishes them into a hug. "Now you can help me finish getting ready!"
"Ready for what?" Evander asks. Before Catie or Ria can answer, they hear Apolla's and Ajax's raised voices from his office. Catie ties back her hair and goes to break them up.
The ground is warm beneath his legs as Cassian sits with his eyes closed. Several birds perch on his body, talking to each other and flitting around him like branches on a tree. A soft blue light surrounds him as he connects with the ethernano flowing from the earth. He soaks the energy into his core with breaths so slow, he looks like a statue. He feels the magma deep below him bubble and boil as it digests rock. The clouds above him vibrate as they condense with one another; it will rain in three days' time.
A familiar flapping of feathers catches his attention, and he lifts one hand into the air, eyes still closed. A blackbird lands on his fingers.
"Hello, my friend." He says, deep voice barely a rumble in his chest. "Welcome back."
The bird chirps, the hops onto his shoulder. It whistles and coos and caws in his ear, and he smiles.
"I see. I see." He summons a small, red berry and feeds it to the bird. "You've done well, my friend. Very well indeed."
Cassian opens his eyes, and they glow red before fading into a soft black. He stands, and all but the blackbird take to the sky.
"I think I'll pay a visit to the town. You should come with me," Cassian says, petting the blackbird. "I'm sure Evander will wonder where you are."
As Cassian walks through the woods, blue footprints follow in his wake. He stops at a tree with pink blossoms and plucks one. He cups in between his hands, and grows a soft, blue orb around it.
"And I'm sure Calypso will like you."
Eris wakes alone in silence, unsure of how much time has passed. She sits up slowly, blinking her eyes open. They land first on the clothes neatly folded on a nearby chair. She stands, legs a little wobbly, and picks up the note on top.
Dad said you could use some clothes. Let me know if they don't fit.
- Ria.
The name sounds familiar. She has the memory of a gentle voice speaking of a girl in between tales of towers and treasure.
Eris sheds the hospital gown and puts on the borrowed clothes; a simple white shirt and a pair of jean shorts. She also slips on the sandals waiting for her.
On the nightstand, Eris notices a book. She picks it up and flips through the pages. It's a collection of fairy tales. Something warm feels her chest, but she squashes it down instinctively. She sets the book back down and exits the infirmary.
There's no one out in the main hall, but she can hear some clinking and smell something nice. She follows her nose to the kitchen. A woman with blond hair hums to herself as she stirs a pot on the stove, her hair tied up in a ponytail.
Another name pops into her mind.
"Catie," she says out loud without thinking.
The woman jumps and drops her spoon, turning to face whoever the intruder is with a raised fist. She softens a bit at the sight of her.
"Hey, you must be Eris." Catie wipes her hands on a tea towel. "I'm Catrina. It's nice to meet you." She holds out her hand.
Eris takes it wearily and lets Catie give her a solid shake.
"I see Ria's clothes fit. We can see about getting you some of your own soon. Are you hungry? I'm almost done with dinner, but I can get you something to snack on in the meantime."
"I'm fine, thank you." Eris says. She looks around the kitchen, feeling lost.
"Are you looking for Evander? He was helping our dad with the bonfire."
"Bonfire?"
"Yup! It's a tradition! Our newest member just went on his first mission, so we're celebrating him! I've got a cake baking in the oven. It's also a bit of a welcome party for you so you can meet everyone. Some of our members aren't home yet, but they should be back by the time we start. Have you ever cooked before?" Catie asks.
It takes a moment for Eris to process all the new information and to realize Catie had asked her a question. She thinks, a small tinkling of a memory in her head. Someone's hands over her own, guiding her through the motions of cracking an egg.
"Yes."
"Great! Wash up and you can give me a hand."
Ria shields her eyes as she gazes at the sun moving closer to the sea. It's about an hour before sunset, meaning they're quickly losing daylight.
"How's that hole coming, Craish?" She calls behind her. She turns to see a single thumb sticking out of the ground. "I can still see you. Probably another foot will do it!"
The thumb sinks backs into the ground, followed by the sound of digging as dirt flies out of the hole. Avon jumps from Ria's shoulder to investigate the pile. He buries himself and then tunnels out of it.
"How are you doing with the enclosures, Hunter?" Ria asks.
"These things are huge," Hunter says, screwing two wooden sides together. "How are they going to fit in your house?"
"The enclosures are staying out here. Iris and Avon are still wild animals, you know." At the sound of her name, Iris slides down from Ria's neck to curl around her wrist. "And they'll be sticking with me most of the time anyway, it seems."
"Then what's even the point of all this?" Hunter asks, struggling to line up the wood with a sheet of plexiglass. Ria holds it steady while he glues the pieces together.
"As much as I'd like to," she says, "I can't realistically carry them around everywhere. They need safe spaces to go when they can't be with me."
"But do those spaces need to be so big? You should just let them wander your backyard."
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"
"You just said they're wild animal! How dangerous can it be?"
As Ria and Hunter bicker, Craish takes a break from his digging and wipes his brow, leaning against his shovel. He's glad they started working in the evening, or he's sure he'd be sweating up a storm. Even then, it's still hot enough for him to have to take off the outer parts of his armor. Removing his shirt might be his next step.
"How's the hole, Craish?" Ria asks.
He holds up his thumb again, not sure why Ria seems to think his body is the best way to measure its depth.
"Oh! Perfect!" She says, coming to peek over the edge. "Let's see how wide you've gotten it." She jumps into the hole, and Craish helps to keep her from falling over. "Nice. This should work. Hunter! Bring me the hose!"
"Get it yourself! I'm busy!"
"Ugh, fine!" Ria climbs out, then takes Craish's shovel so he can climb out after her. She pulls her shirt over her head and casually drops her shorts. Hunter curses loudly as he accidentally hammers his thumb, while Craish instinctively turns to face the other way.
Ria rolls her eyes and adjusts the straps of her black, two-piece bikini.
"I didn't want to get my clothes wet. It's like neither of you have seen a swimsuit before!" She runs to grab the hose on the side of the house. "Don't be weird about it!"
She turns the hose on full blast and sprays Craish and Hunter in the face.
"Alright! You asked for it!" Hunter pulls his shirt off. "Craish! Help me get the hose!"
Back at the guild, Bors swings an axe down to break a block of wood in half with a loud thunk. He picks up another log, then another and another in a rhythm as steady as a heartbeat. As he works, Evander and Ajax clear the area of dead leaves and plants that have grown since the last time they built a bonfire. Ajax looks up at some of the tree branches dangling overhead.
"We need to trim those," he says. "Do you remember where we put the shears?"
"I can't even remember the last time we used them," Evander says.
"Catie keeps them in the greenhouse," Leflin says, not looking up from the book of snakes he reads nearby.
"I'll be right back. You can start piling up the wood while I'm gone." Ajax heads off towards the greenhouse.
"You'll want to hurry," Leflin says. "It'll be dark soon."
"It would go faster if you assisted us." Bors stops chopping wood so he can help Evander.
Leflin snaps his book closed and stands.
"I would. I really would, but it's just about time for Blue and the others to get back, and I have some very important information to share with him." He says, waving as he goes through the woods.
"Lazy asshole." Evander mumbles.
"Do not mind him," Bors says. "We will be better off without his commentary, and he will bring the others back with him. It is ideal for all."
"If you say so."
Heading through town, Leflin passes by the Cinerus house, listening to Ria scream as Hunter and Craish attack her with the water. She directs it back at them with her magic, soaking the two.
"You'll want to work on getting cleaned up!" Leflin shouts at them. "Dinner will be ready soon!"
"Shoot! He's right!" Ria says, looking for her discarded shirt.
Leflin catches Hunter's eyes and simply gestures towards Ria with a raised brow. Hunter blushes red and tries to squirt him with the water hose. Laughing, Leflin runs away. The lamps in town light simultaneously as the sun sinks further into the sea, and Leflin gets to the train station just in time for Blue, Silver and Razi to arrive.
"Welcome back!" He greets them.
"Why do you have to be the first person we see?" Silver sighs.
"I missed you too." Leflin winks at her, and Silver looks thoroughly unamused. "Blue, I'm going to need your help."
"With the Hunter Thing? Or the Ria Thing?" Blue says as he jumps from the train.
"Neither, actually. I need you to help me break into a library in the next town over."
"I thought you had keys to all the nearby libraries."
"I did. This one changed their locks."
"And you can't just go during public hours like a normal person?" Silver asks.
"Of course not. They've banned me."
"Why?"
"Because I made a copy of their key."
"Hey," Razi says as they pass a cafe. "Who's that with Henry?"
The three older teens stop and stare, wide eyed at the sight of Henry siting down with a pretty young woman across the table from him. She has long, orange hair kept in a side braid draped over her shoulder, and bright green eyes. Henry says something they can't hear, and the. woman laughs.
"Holy shit!" Blue says while Leflin bursts into laughter.
"Henry has a girlfriend!" Leflin says. "And he's trying to keep her a secret! This is the best day of my laugh!"
"We don't know she's his girlfriend!" Silver says, unable to comprehend Henry being romantically involved with anyone. "She could be an acquaintance or an employer of maybe he just met her and they had to share a table and she's just really nice."
The woman reaches across to ruffle Henry's hair, and to Silver's absolute shock, he doesn't push her away automatically.
"Holy shit!" She says.
"I guess she's really, really nice." Razi says.
"This is good." Blue grins. "This is so good. We've got to go over there right this instant!"
"Hold up, my young friend." Leflin grabs Blue's scarf to keep him from rushing off. "This is like mana from heaven. We don't know when we'll get an opportunity like this with Henry again. We need to savor it. And I just know how to do it."
And thus the betting pool for Henry's Secret Girlfriend begins.
As if under a spell, everyone slowly congregates back at the guild. Ria forces Craish to wear a blindfold as she and Hunter guide him through the forest. Part way there, Razi and catches up with them.
"Welcome back." Ria says.
"Why's Craish wearing a blindfold?" Razi asks.
"Because he's new." Ria reminds him.
"Oh, yeah!" Razi says. "That means-"
"Don't ruin the surprise!" Hunter clasps a hand over Razi's mouth.
Not far behind them, Silver does her best to ignore Blue's and Leflin's conspiring whispers. She doesn't want to get involved past putting 100 Jewels on the woman dumping Henry in a week.
The sun has fully sunk into the ocean as the two groups walk into a clearing near the guild. Ajax trimmed the trees back enough to reveal the stars shining above. Quickly, Ria passes along party poppers. Together, Ajax and Evander light the bonfire as Hunter yanks off Craish's blindfold. Everyone sets off their poppers and cheers.
Craish blinks in surprise, confetti raining on his face.
"Welcome to Phoenix Refuge!" Ria shouts while Evander and Ajax quickly spell out 'Congrats!' in fire. The letters quickly fade, but Craish grins.
Henry uses the commotion to slip past the kids and joins the circle. Bors notices immediately, but keeps quiet.
"I hear shouting! Is everyone here, then?" Catie asks as she, Eris and Apolla exit the guild holding platters of food. Everyone gives another rowdy cheer as someone conjures a table. They set the plates down and everyone digs in, breaking into small groups. Blue and Leflin accosts Henry, carefully fishing for information, but he gives nothing away. Ria and Razi take turns feeding tiny bits of fruit to Avon while he and Silver recap their mission. Ajax and Apolla check in with Craish to see how he's adjusting. Evander and Hunter discuss possible plans to team up now that Evander's gauntlets are repaired while Eris listens silently beside them.
Catie takes a seat beside Bors, watching the different conversations play out. A part of her soul settles, and she lets out a relieved sigh. After a while, she notices Bors has been staring at her. She turns to face him, but he doesn't stop even as they make eye contact.
"What's wrong? Do I have flour on my face or something?"
"No. You seem to be in better spirits. I am happy." Bors turns his attention back to his food.
Catie pretends the heat in her face is from the fire and only the fire.
Silver breaks away from Razi and Ria for a moment, digging into her pocket for the letter Kalli gave her.
"Master," she says. "The Rune Knights asked me to give this to you."
"Thank you." Ajax takes the letter, only opening it when Silver returns to her previous seat.
Meet me in Poseidon's Mouth at midnight of the Twenty-Ninth Day of March.
-D
Ajax sighs and tosses the letter into the fire. He wonders what Donovin would have done if the letter hadn't reached him in time.
"You seem stressed suddenly." Apolla says, handing Ajax a small vial. He pours it into his drink and downs it in a single gulp.
"Donovin will be the death of me." He says. Apolla pats him on the head.
Eventually, Evander takes Eris' hand and walks her around the bonfire, introducing her to all the members. He's just gotten to Bors when a new member joins the group.
"I hope I'm not too late." Calypso says, holding a tray of brownies.
"Right on time!" Evander waves her over. "Remember the girl from the woods? This is Eris. Eris, this is a friend of the family, Calypso."
The woman stares down at her for a moment, and Eris feels the glimmer of some memory at the back of her mind, but she can't reach it. Calypso smiles warmly and whatever memory was trying to break through slips away.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm glad to see you're doing well." Calypso holds up her tray to the group of mages. "Who wants brownies?"
A cheer goes around the bonfire. Calypso begins handing out her desert, and Eris follows the woman with her eyes.
"You okay?" Evander asks, squeezing her hand.
Eris looks down at their entwined limbs.
"Yes," she says. "I'm fine."
Evander notices the corners of her mouth give the faintest of twitches.
Thank you for reading! I'm glad I actually posted on Friday this time.
Till next time!