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Chapter Five
The Great Rift
The feast is magnificent but soon it's time to turn in. Morgiana and Hakuryuu fall into their beds that night exhausted but satisfied. Their hair is still damp and they grin at each other from their pillows before closing their eyes and letting sleep take them. Morgiana can't remember the last time she had such fun. She thinks she likes this town very much and she definitely wants to come back someday and experience the rain feast again. Perhaps next time Aladdin and Alibaba will be with them.
The next morning when they wake up the rains have passed and the weather is back to being dry and scorching. They say goodbye to the innkeeper and thank him for allowing them to join their celebration.
"Of course!" the man replies, grinning wide. "You two sure looked like you were enjoying yourselves. Come back and join us again sometime, yeah?"
Hakuryuu puts his hands together and bows to the man and Morgiana smiles and nods. "We'd like that."
"Just so you know," the man says, leaning forward over the counter and raising an eyebrow conspiratorially, "weddings held during the rains are blessed and promise a lifetime of happiness and love." He looks back and forth between them. "Not that I mean to assume anything. Just thought I'd put that out there. Fun facts and all that."
Morgiana blinks and Hakuryuu blushes brightly and scratches the back of his head. "Thanks," he says sounding flustered. "For the, uh, fun fact."
The larger man reaches over the counter and ruffles his hair. "Stay safe out there, kids," he tells them as they turn to go. "Be sure to stop in and say hi if you ever pass through again."
The two of them nod and then they leave the inn and continue on their way. They will both miss this town and its friendly people. Morgiana thinks that if everyone acted like the people of this town, there wouldn't be any need for war. She will definitely come back someday. Until then, she'll treasure the wonderful memories she's made here.
It takes another full week to reach the border between Heliohapt and Cathargo. It has now been over a month since Morgiana and Hakuryuu parted ways with Aladdin and Alibaba. As they cross into Cathargo territory Morgiana wonders what she will find.
The transition from Heliohapt to Cathargo is marked by the reappearance of trees and hot sand turning to dry earth. They've officially left the desert behind and before them stretches a vast savannah. Morgiana feels like this new landscape is familiar to her and she thinks she must be close. Her excitement and trepidation build with ever kilometer.
The town Masrur told her to seek out isn't far from the border and only takes a few hours to reach on foot. Morgiana's heart speeds up when she sees buildings in the distance. At last, she thinks. I've made it. However, when they enter the town the first thing she thinks is that it doesn't come anywhere close to resembling the image of her hometown that she carries in her heart. The place is rundown and the few people she sees are rough and worn. It's a town that was probably once quite prosperous but has clearly outlived its heyday. As she and Hakuryuu walk down its streets, it becomes ever more apparent that there are no Fanalis here.
Morgiana's heart sinks. A part of her feels cheated. She came all this way only to find nothing. But it's not like she was unprepared for this eventuality. She's disappointed, yes, but she knew from the beginning not to get her hopes up. Hakuryuu puts a hand on her shoulder. "Just because they're not here doesn't mean they're not anywhere," he assures her.
They stop in a tavern to see if they can get any information from the locals. The tavern is every bit as seedy and washed out as the rest of the town and Morgiana feels a sharp sadness for what this place has become. To think this was once the home of her people. It leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.
The moment they step through the door, every eye in the place is on them. It's immediately apparent that these people don't get visitors often.
"Isn't that little girl a Fanalis?" a man mutters, nudging his buddy. "I thought they were all captured." The two of them look over at Morgiana with cautious curiosity. "Could it be she came from over there?"
"Idiot," his friend mutters back. "That's just a superstition."
Hakuryuu's eyes narrow and he walks over to the table where the two men are sitting. "What is?" he asks, drawing the attention of the tavern to the duo.
The men look back and forth between him and Morgiana warily. They look hesitant to engage a stranger but the second man answers anyway. "That on the other side of the great rift that splits the dark continent in two there are still Fanalis."
Morgiana immediately perks up. "There are still Fanalis living on the other side of the great rift?" she repeats, coming up beside her companion. Hope swells in her chest. "Really?"
The men regard her with suspicion. "That's what they say," the first one answers. "But nobody who's crossed has ever returned."
Morgiana turns to Hakuryuu. Her eyes are shining. "You were right!" she tells him, excitement swelling in her breast. "If there are still Fanalis living on the other side of this great rift then all we have to do is cross over and find them."
He nods and the corners of his lips turn upward. "Then we know our next destination."
They leave the tavern without another word and the moment they're outside Hakuryuu pulls out his map. The thick black line labeled "The Great Rift" is not far; only about a two-day walk. They briefly stop by what passes for a market to stock up on supplies before heading out. They don't even bother staying the night.
The gaping chasm that greets them at the end of their journey makes the name "The Great Rift" sound like a gross understatement. It's so wide that Morgiana can't see to the other side and so deep that all she sees when she looks down is inky darkness. The place fills her with apprehension.
"It's amazing," Hakuryuu says, standing beside her at the edge. He uses the butt of his halberd to knock a small rock into the chasm and the two wait but they never hear it land.
It looks like the edge of the world to Morgiana and she takes an instinctive step back from the drop. The sight of the terrible scar fills her with an odd mixture of terror and resolve. It frightens her more than anything but to see her people she is prepared to face any challenge. She swallows her fear and says, "I have to cross. I need to see for myself if there are really still Fanalis on the other side."
Hakuryuu nods. His eyebrows are lowered in determination. "I understand. We can go whenever you're ready."
Morgiana turns sharply to face him, her eyes widening. "You would continue to follow me? Even down there?"
Hakuryuu's brow relaxes and he smiles at her. "I said I would, didn't I? You asked me to accompany you on this journey and I agreed. The journey isn't over yet."
"But," she protests. She never thought he would be willing to go so far. It boggles her mind that anyone would willingly venture into such a place just for the sake of a friend. She thinks about telling him that, but instead she says, "How are you going to get down. I can't carry both of us with these chains." She holds up her arms demonstratively.
"No," he agrees. "But I can." He raises his halberd. "If I perform a djinn equip, getting to the bottom won't be a problem."
Morgiana just looks at him for a long moment and then nods reluctantly. "I see." She faces the chasm and furrows her eyebrows in determination. She's surprised to find that a large part of her is relieved that Hakuryuu isn't going to leave her. While she would do anything to see her people, the thought of facing the darkness alone gives her chills. She takes a deep breath. "Then I'm ready."
There is a flash of light and Hakuryuu stands before her fully transformed for the second time. Morgiana is struck again by how frightening he looks wearing Zagan's magic. The black plumage and cold red eyes make him look sinister. Alibaba's warning from the night before she left Aktia flashes in her head. Watch out for him, his voice replays in her ears. She shakes her head to rid herself of it. She knows how gentle and careful Hakuryuu is. He won't hurt her.
She's proud of herself for suppressing her instinct to flinch when Hakuryuu bends down and scoops her up into his arms. She braces her arms around his neck as he turns to face the rift again. "Still ready?"
"Yes," she answers, tightening her hold on him.
He jumps.
It takes only a few seconds for the blackness to completely swallow them. After about thirty seconds the only thing keeping Morgiana from feeling like she's become lost in space is the feel of Hakuryuu's arms around her and the rhythmic beating of his heart against her side.
A minute passes.
Two minutes.
Five minutes.
Every time Morgiana thinks they must nearly be at the bottom, their descent continues.
Ten minutes.
Fifteen minutes.
Still, they haven't reached the end. Morgiana can feel anxiety mounting in her chest. What if there is no bottom? What if they've already fallen so far that they won't be able to get back up? Which way even is up?
"Calm down," Hakuryuu instructs gently. He can probably feel her heart racing wildly in her chest. "This hole can't go on for much longer."
True to his word, they finally touch down about half a minute later. Hakuryuu sets her on her feet and she collapses to the ground. Feeling cool earth beneath her brings instant relief and her heart rate finally begins to calm. She's still alive. She's hasn't plunged into hell.
She feels a hand brush her clumsily in the dark and then come to rest on her arm. "Are you okay?" Hakuryuu asks. She can hear his clothing rustle and infers that he's trying to look around. "It's so dark down here…I can't tell up from down."
Morgiana takes his hand so she doesn't lose him. She can tell from the feeling of soft skin under her fingers that he's released his transformation. "The only way to go is forward. If we just keep going, we'll have to reach the other side eventually."
"Great," he says. "But which way is forward?"
Morgiana already knows how to solve that problem. She takes a deep breath and then blasts a wave of sound out around her. She can detect a wall at her back and the person shaped form that is Hakuryuu at her side. In front of them is wide, open space. She tugs on Hakuryuu's hand and begins to walk. "This way."
Hakuryuu tightens his grip on her hand but follows without protest.
They don't know how long they walk. It's impossible to keep track of time in the darkness so they pass the journey in small snippets of conversation. Mostly they talk about trivial things; stuff like how annoying monsoon season is in Kou and how many bug bites they both got back in Sindria and what they would do if they were forced to live in the rift.
"I think we would starve pretty fast," Hakuryuu submits. "As far as I can tell there aren't any animals or plants living down here."
Morgiana hums in agreement. "We could have Aladdin and Alibaba throw livestock down for us," she suggests.
Hakuryuu laughs at that. "Then I suppose I could use Zagan to make wood for a house," he concedes. "You don't think Aladdin and Alibaba would throw down and lantern and some oil, do you?"
Morgiana smiles even though her companion can't see it. "We'll be relying on them a lot," she observes.
"Aladdin has that magic carpet. They can come down for tea from time to time."
"They'll have to bring the water."
The two of them laugh as they realize how silly their conversation has become. Again, Morgiana thinks about how happy she is to have company. Had she come alone, the fear might really have been too much. Hakuryuu is a calm, grounding presence at her side and she's finding herself relying on him more and more. Back when she first met him, she never would have guessed that the kind but private young prince from Kou would become such a person for her.
They don't know how many hours have passed but eventually they both feel exhaustion creep in and decide to stop for the night. Or morning. Or afternoon. They have no idea what time it is in the world above; they just know that if they keep walking for any longer they're going to pass out.
Hakuryuu fumbles with the bedrolls and does his best to lay them out straight. He points their heads in the direction they've been walking up till now so that they don't accidently end up getting turned around when they wake up. When he's finished, he and Morgiana fall into their beds gratefully. They're both so tired that they're not even bothered by the lumps from the chasm floor. But even so, Morgiana has a hard time finding sleep. She lies awake for several long minutes just staring up at the inky blackness. She can't even tell if her eyes are open or closed. She feels a bit like she's suffocating. She can't hear Hakuryuu next her. The silence is smothering. Her heart rate is beginning to accelerate again. She's going to panic soon. She pulls an arm free from her blanket and reaches for Hakuryuu. She has to check to make sure he hasn't been swallowed up. She finds what feels like his shoulder and grabs at the fabric of his shirt. "Hakuryuu?" she whispers. "You're still here, right?"
She feels Hakuryuu roll over. He finds her hand with his flesh one and grasps it. "Still here," he assures her.
Morgiana grips his hand tightly and slowly her hear rate begins to calm. Hakuryuu lays their clasped hands on the ground between them. He doesn't make any move to let go and Morgiana is grateful. She feels like his hand is the only thing tethering her to the world. But that's enough. As long as he's still with her, she knows she won't get swept away. A few minutes later, she's able to fall asleep.
For the first time in nearly a week, she dreams.
Aladdin and Alibaba are concerned. They haven't heard from Sinbad since the International Alliance's assembly and according to Kougyoku nobody has seen him for several days. Normally, such a thing wouldn't register as anything to worry about except that even Ja'far has no idea where he's gone. The pale-haired young advisor even came to Aladdin to see if the fifteen-year-old magi knew anything. He looked stressed and his dark eyes were full of unease. Morgiana has never seen him look so lost.
"What could he be planning this time?" Alibaba wonders aloud, holding a hand to his chin. His eyes are narrowed and he's frowning contemplatively. Morgiana knows what he's thinking. Where could Sinbad have gone that he didn't even tell Ja'far? It's suspicious to be sure.
Still, there's nothing that can be done until they get more information so they carry on like always. They've got more to do than ever now that Kougyoku has officially left the alliance. The world is about to change again; Morgiana can feel it. She only hopes that Sinbad's disappearance doesn't turn out to be a precursor to some new crisis.
When she wakes up, her hand is still clasped in Hakuryuu's. She wishes she had some idea of how long it's been. Her senses are all jumbled and she can't tell if the tiredness she still feels is from not sleeping long enough or if she's simply lethargic from just waking up. She can hear Hakuryuu breathing evenly beside her and judges him to still be asleep. She could wake him up so they can continue their journey but in the end she scraps the idea. She's just too tired. She closes her eyes and goes back to sleep.
The next time she wakes, Hakuryuu is awake as well. He's lying quietly next to her and he speaks up when he feels her squeeze his hand. "Good morning," he greets softly. "Or, you know."
Morgiana grunts and sits up. She feels much more refreshed now. Feeling around for their bags, she fishes out a couple of apples and a small package of dried meat. She hands Hakuryuu his share and the two enjoy a quick breakfast before packing up and continuing on their way.
For two more "nights", they continue this pattern. They walk until they can't anymore and then they lay out their bedrolls and collapse from exhaustion. Each night, as she's about to fall asleep, Morgiana asks, "Still here?" and Hakuryuu grabs her hand and says, "Still here."
By the fourth day, Morgiana begins to forget what Hakuryuu looks like. It's been so long since she's seen him. She knows him better by the feel of his palm now than by his face. The rift seems to go on forever. Several times she wonders if they've gotten turned around and are just walking in circles. Perhaps they will be stuck living down here after all. If only they had a shell phone to get in touch with Alibaba and Aladdin…
Morgiana pauses. Hakuryuu is forced to stop as well when he feels resistance from their entwined hands. "A…shell phone?" she mutters out loud. Her face screws up in confusion. What an absurd thought. And yet, for some reason, the idea hadn't seemed strange at all just a second ago.
She feels Hakuryuu's hand tighten on hers. "A what?" he asks.
"Nothing," she assures him, continuing to walk again. "I just had a really bizarre thought."
"About?" he questions.
She laughs. Really, it's ridiculous. She doesn't know where it came from. "For some reason I thought for a second that there were magical shells that you could talk into to communicate with people who are far away."
Hakuryuu is silent for a long moment. Finally, he says, "Yeah, that's pretty far out there. I mean, I guess something like that could be made, but…" He trails off. The quality of his voice is strange. He sounds…off, somehow. But she can't tell exactly how. She desperately wishes she could see his face.
They continue to walk in silence and Morgiana feels like his grip on her hand is just slightly tighter than it was before. She wonders if something is troubling him. She wants to ask, but something, call it her instincts, is telling her not to. Morgiana listens to her instincts.
But…
Something about Hakuryuu is still bothering her. Ever since they returned from the pirates' stronghold, she's felt a sense of eerie uncanniness that follows her everywhere she goes. It's a feeling she can only describe as a sense of offness that prickles in her subconscious and always manifests the most strongly in matters that concern him. She wishes she could ask him about it but she doesn't know the right question or even if he has the answer. Perhaps it is not him who is off, but her. After all, she is the only one who seems to be feeling this way. Ever since that moment on the docks in Aktia… Ever since that single moment when she had that thought…
What am I doing here? This is wrong.
She's going to gag. She's choking on something. It feels like she's swallowed too much water. She lifts her free hand to her throat but just as suddenly as it comes, the feeling passes. She's still walking. Still blind and trekking steadily through the darkness. Everything is normal. She can feel the moment slipping from her mind. In a minute, she will forget it.
No. She furrows her eyebrows and steels her mind. She won't forget this time. She's going to hold onto what she can of this feeling. Her instincts are back and they're telling her she's been forgetting far too much lately.
Hakuryuu stops short and Morgiana is yanked from her thoughts. She blinks. Where before there had been nothing, a softly glowing house now stands before them. She doesn't know where it came from or how it's here, but it's the first thing she's seen in four days and the sight of it nearly brings tears to her eyes. There's a neat pile of chopped firewood out front and a pail for carrying water. The house looks cozy and warm and it beckon to her. She starts forward and Hakuryuu follows dutifully. As they get closer, the light from the cottage illuminates Hakuryuu's face. Morgiana takes a moment to drink in his appearance. Even though he'd been with her the whole time, only now, with the pale glow of the cabin making him visible, does he seem properly real to her.
Her musings are once again cut short when the cabin's door opens and a person steps out carrying a bundle of firewood. It's a man. He has golden hair woven into a long plait and he's so beautiful that Morgiana almost mistakes him for a woman. He looks surprised to see them at first but then his gaze fixes on her and he smiles kindly. "You did well in coming here, Morgiana," he greets and Morgiana is taken aback by his use of her name. She's certain she's never met this person before but he's looking at her like she's an old friend. He turns then to Hakuryuu and simply nods. Something passes between them in that moment but Morgiana is in the dark as to what. She gets the same feeling of incorrectness but stronger than ever.
The man opens the door wide and gestures for them to enter. "Would you both care to come in for some tea?"
oO0Oo
Wow! I seem to have gained several more readers between the last chapter and this one. That's awesome! So there are people still lurking here after all. That makes my heart very glad. A big thank you to everyone who is reading and enjoying this story and an extra special thanks to those who have favorited/commented. You all have made me very happy.
Next chapter: Hakuryuu chicken fights a middle aged man in a gorilla suit and Morgiana becomes a nun. Stay tuned for their dramatic reunion ten years later where it is revealed that their son has a terminal disease.