Author's Note:
Greetings once again. If you enjoyed the OC chapter, be sure to tell me what you liked and didn't like. We're back into canon territory, so enjoy! This chapter will be fun to write…
-Tangent
When Gavin awoke in the morning, he saw Ean and Jack sitting near the fire. Crawling from his blankets, he retrieved his outer layers and pulled them on over his undershirt, sitting down next to Jack with a frown.
"Cold?" Ean asked, and Gavin nodded, holding his hands near the fire. Iya and Rye were also beginning to stir, but were evidently not ready to get up just yet. Gavin was distracted by a faint smell as Ean began roasting vegetables over the fire, mixing them with some dried meats that he had attempted to season slightly.
"Not the best food, but it'll keep us alive." He commented, and Jack wrinkled his nose.
"Reminds me of some old house I robbed, back in the day." Ean glanced at him, but did not comment.
"Yeah, I forgot how old you are." Rye commented as he joined them. "Still a kid, though. Gavin is the only proper adult here." The warlock and the thief stared at each other, confusion on their faces.
"What do you mean?" Jack said.
"Gavin's been around since before the reign of Rhen Pendragon." Ean said. "He's well over two hundred years old." The boy stared at Gavin intensely.
"No… no way… You're…" The warlock felt an icy feeling settle into his gut. The boy was the only one old enough to remember. He jumped to his and grabbed Jack by the arm.
"Hey! Ow! Let me go!"
"Let's have a quick word." Gavin said, dragging Jack away from the others. When they were out of earshot, he rounded on him. "What do you know?"
"About you?" Jack sneered. "Enough to know what you did back in the other town. They don't know?" He seemed almost triumphant at the thought, and Gavin shook his head.
"They do not, and it will remain that way."
"Ooooh, keeping secrets? Maybe I should-"
"You tell them a single thing," threatened Gavin. "and I'll show you exactly how powerful I am. Clear?" Jack paled noticeably and nodded.
"Very clear. I've had enough of curses."
Back at the fire, Ean stared at Gavin and Jack curiously.
"That's weird." Rye, who had begun eating, looked at him.
"What is?"
"Gavin." The elf responded. "What do you think he's not telling us?" Rye shrugged.
"Honestly? I don't really know, but he would have told us if it was super important. But there's some things he just can't trust us with."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he is over two centuries old, and he's essentially a witch. He seems to have changed, but he's probably got some emotional baggage that never really faded away. Just let it be for now, Ean." Rye turned back to his food while Ean made a plate for Iya, who had sat up from her sleeping position. She scooted over near the fire, still wrapped in her blanket, and he handed her plate. The elven woman smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, Ean." He glanced at her, and his heart seemed to skip a beat as he took in her messy appearance. Her hair was slightly messy, spilling loosely around her shoulders, which were mostly covered by the blanket, a fact Ean was grateful for.
Even like that, she's… Their eyes met, but he saw something darker inside of them, and he did not press her further. Evidently, she was still recovering mentally from her ordeal in Bogwood. Gavin and Jack rejoined them and began eating, although Ean could not help but notice that Jack seemed a little paler than normal. They ate in relative silence, considering what lay ahead. When they had finished their meal, Rye offered to clean their plates in a small stream nearby while the other broke camp. Ean had just closed his pack when Amari spoke:
"You're close, Ean. I can almost sense him…"
"Him?"
"Yes, but that's the only thing I can remember. He was always so strong…"
"I do not recall this man." Vincent put in. "But be on your guard, Ean. The creatures will only get stronger from here on out."
"I understand." Ean said. "Be ready to assist me if I need it, please."
"Yes, sir." Amari said jokingly, and Ean severed the connection.
Iya, Jack, and Gavin had finished breaking camp, and he waited for Rye to come back before explaining the plan.
"Okay, listen up. There's definitely another transfigured beast in these mountains, and the other spirits say that its close. Everybody be extremely careful, yes? Shout if you see anything out of the ordinary." The other members of the party agreed, and they set off through the caverns once more. After backtracking for a short while, they discovered a path that they had previously missed, hidden in one of the twists and turns. The group soon discovered that this path branched off into several other caves, all of which disappeared into the darkness.
"Uh… which one first?" asked Jack in confusion.
"Right is always right." Ean said, pointing to the tunnel on the far side of the cavern.
"That's left, isn't it?" Gavin interjected.
"From our perspective, yes. But what about the other perspective?" Ean said, walking over to the entrance and turning around. "Now this is the right tunnel." Gavin looked very confused, but Iya spoke up:
"He used to do that to me a lot, too. Just go with it." They followed Ean towards the passage, which sloped upwards.
"There is a reason for it, though." The elf said, pointing to the wall. "Look." The rock wall was cracked, as though something quite large had crashed into it.
"You think it's the creature?" Rye asked, and Ean nodded. "We're probably getting close, then." The party continued on through the caves, lighting torches as they went, as none of the light sources were present in this section of the cave.
"Odd." Rye remarked, but did not say anything else. Jack felt a creeping sensation on the back of his neck, but there was nothing there. Not wanting to look foolish, he said nothing for the time being.
The daylight was almost blinding as they staggered into the sunlight. Ean was the first to recover, and he saw that they were at a much higher elevation than before. Next to them, a waterfall gushed down into a small pool, which was surrounded by a variety of plants. The path from the cave curved to the left and vanished, but he saw nothing else.
"This isn't the right way down." Gavin remarked as he looked around. "But it's certainly a nice view. Where does the path lead?" He started towards it, but Ean stopped him.
"Stay close, Gavin." He extended his senses to the max, but he felt nothing except the still air. Could the creature really not be here? The party walked forwards, weapons at the ready as they rounded the corner of the path and saw… nothing.
"What is this?" Rye said with a frown, lowering his bow slightly. The area ahead was a rough, circular clearing of stone, barren and empty. "It's like… a nest? Or a den?" Suddenly, Ean glimpsed something at the back of the cavern that shone a dull white. Bones, human or otherwise, littered the back of the clearing, and he suddenly understood.
They can hide themselves from me.
"Get back!" He yelled, but it was too late. With an almighty roar that split the air, a boulder fell behind them, blocking the path and knocking them to the ground.
"Get up!" Vincent bellowed. Ean snapped awake and rolled to one side as a massive orange fist smashed into the ground where he had been. He jumped to his feet and flicked his claws out, looking around for the others. Thankfully, he had been the closest to the rock, and thus, the creature. Gavin and Iya were on their feet, weapons ready, and Rye was dragging Jack further away from the monster.
Ean turned his attention to the beast in front of him. It was at least ten feet tall, and every inch was built with pure muscle and ugly orange skin. Thankfully, a loincloth made of skin. covered most of the waist. Veins pulsed beneath the skin as the monster flexed, and Ean looked higher to behold the face.
It had only one eye, squarely in the middle of the forehead.
There was a flash of movement, and only a last-minute dodge saved Ean from being crushed by the fist of the cyclops, which bellowed loudly, showing its ugly, misshapen teeth.
"Ean!" Iya shrieked, and a blast of fire struck the cyclops squarely in the chest, causing it to stagger slightly. The elf took the opportunity to rejoin the others, who stared in horror at the advancing monster.
"How do we kill it?" Gavin said, rifling through his pack. "I have something here…"
"I'll distract it. Rye, you aim for the eyes and other sensitive spots. Iya and Gavin, just hammer it with whatever you've got." The cyclops bellowed once more and charged, fists raised.
"Scatter!" Rye shouted, and Ean dove to one side as the monster bore down upon them. His claws raked along its leg, causing little harm other than forcing it to stop and try to kick him. An arrow glanced off its armored skin, and Rye cursed faintly, sending more arrow at the beast's face.
Ean regained his feet, slashing at the creature, but his blows had no impact on the creature, and it merely swung an armored forearm at him with a cry. He wasn't quite fast enough to dodge completely, and the glancing blow sent him tumbling away. The cyclops whirled and bore down on Iya and Gavin, who continued raining spells upon it.
"Ean! Are you okay?" Amari cried.
"I'm fine! How do we kill it?"
"I don't know!" she cried. "Memories are beginning to come back, but none of them are useful!"
"Aim for the legs, maybe?" Vincent said in a worried tone. "It seems to draw strength from the earth. Look!" Ean noticed that the cyclops always kept two feet on the ground, only lifting them to move.
"I see. But why?"
"No idea. But- look out!" Ean dodged a fist and slashed out at the hand, drawing a trace amount of blood. Evidently, the creature had decided Ean should die first, which was unfortunate.
"Gavin! Iya! Target its legs!" Ean shouted, running away from the monster. "If we can knock it over, I might be able to kill it!" The two mages nodded and began hurling lightning and waves of earth at the creature, slowing it just enough for Ean to get out of range once more. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the creature. What area could he target to make it fall?
"That's it!" he said. "If we can damage his legs enough, he'll collapse! But his skin is so tough…"
"Your claws might not be able to, but enough magic might do it. The skin is not very magic-resistant." Vincent said.
As the cyclops reached for him once more, Ean leapt upwards, using the stomach of the monsters like a springboard that flung him away. He flipped in midair and landed on his feet, slashing and hacking at the arms of the beast. An ice spike slammed into its shoulder and it flinched slightly. Ean kept attacking, trying to wear down the defenses before it could recuperate. He felt the cyclops falter ever so slightly, and he shouted a cry as he drove his claws into its chest, tearing a wound near its heart. Iya hurled another icy spear, which hit the wound inflicted by Ean, and the cyclops let out a cry of pain.
It's working!
"Ean, move!" Gavin shouted, and Ean turned to see that he was running forward, clutching a scroll in his hand. Instinctively, Ean leapt backwards, somersaulting out of range as Gavin dodged a fist and hurled the scroll directly into the creature's face. Lightning streaked from his hand and hit the scroll, which exploded in a blinding blast of heat and electricity. Gavin and Ean staggered backwards, staring at the cloud of smoke that had engulfed the creature. With a groan, the cyclops fell to one knee, and Ean charged forward, changing forms as he went.
His wolf form landed on the cyclops' chest, clawing maniacally at the eyes and throat of the creature. Blood spurted everywhere, and Ean redoubled his efforts as he felt the cyclops give way beneath him.
And then, everything went wrong. The cyclops lashed out at Gavin, who was standing too close to get out of range. The fist struck him squarely in the stomach, and he was thrown into the rock wall with a dull crunch. Horrified, Ean turned to leap to him, but the cyclops seized him with the other hand and flung him away. His head struck something hard, and all went black.
Jack groaned and rolled over, blinking a couple times.
"Morning already?" He groaned, sitting up in his small bed. Nearby, his sister was still sleeping in her own little bed, her face peaceful. He was two years older than her, and so he saw it as his duty to protect her.
"Morning, love." His mother, Marian, called from the kitchen. "Come and eat!" The eleven-year-old boy stumbled into the kitchen, sitting down at the table in front of a bowl of oatmeal. Why did everything feel so… wrong?
"You alright, Jack?" The male voice made him turn, and he saw a man with a dark hair much like his own, wearing a large smile.
"Tired." He muttered, and his dad chuckled.
"How late did you stay up with your friends?"
"Too late." Jack murmured. Little did his father know that he hadn't stayed the night at Lily's, but had instead gone out and met another prospective client. Even as a boy, his skills as a thief were in high demand, something he took pride in. Not even Lily had known that he'd left in the middle of the night. No doubt she'd be coming by later.
"And what did you do?"
"Oh, we just… you know… played some games." He stumbled over the sentence, but his father did not notice. Jack began eating his oatmeal, still very confused. There was a strange feeling about everything that was happening, like it was.. was…
He could not quite put his finger on it, but he knew that something was definitely off. Was it his danger sense, the one that warned him whenever something was too risky? It had definitely paid off before, but he couldn't see the reason for it now.
"Hello?" A voice called from outside. "Jack?"
"Lily!" His sister called from behind him. She adored the older girl like a sister. The frame of his only friend appeared in the doorway. She was tall, taller than him with long red hair. For some reason, she looked uneasy.
"You ran away last night." She said.
"I was scared." Jack said, using the lie he had used many times before. "You know I get homesick sometimes."
"Yes, but you normally tell me when you leave." Lily said accusingly. "What were you doing?" His whole family was staring at him now, and he knew he had to think fast.
"I went home, Lily. I promise." But her eyes were sad now, and suddenly his danger sense started screaming at him to run, to get out of there. But it was too late. Lily stepped back, and two guards stepped into the house, hands on their swords.
"Jack Evans? You're under arrest for theft." His mother gasped, and his father leapt from his chair, whirling on the boy, who was frozen to the spot.
"What?"
"Your boy was caught robbing a house as well as setting up a new job." From behind them, a familiar man stepped forwards.
"You!" Jack shouted at the 'client' he had meant the previous night. The guards stepped forward, but his mother cried out:
"Wait! Please don't take him! Not my boy!"
"He's stolen thousands by now, ma'am. This is out of our hands." One of the guards stated. "Come on, kid." They led him out of the house, and Jack turned back to see them. His father, anger and disbelief on his face. His mother, weeping silently. Lily, stone-faced but for a single tear. But the sight that hurt him most was his sister. Violet was staring after him, confusion and hurt on her small face. Jack's sight blurred with tears, and he saw no more of them.
The king ordered Jack to serve a year doing hard labor to make up for his crimes, an unusual punishment for one so young. He spent his time mining and logging to the north, a time that was cruel and unyielding as he nearly froze to death night after night. The only thing driving him was his sister, and the thought of returning home to explain to her that it was for her that he stole and hid the money.
"Your parents give up on you, kid?" One of the other prisoners asked one night.
"I don't know." Jack said truthfully.
"Yeah, I bet they have. Parents have long memories, eh?" The words stayed with Jack for the rest of his time, and he hoped that they were not true.
His feet hit the ground in Thais, and Jack looked around at the city he had been gone from for a year. He was even skinnier now, but his muscle made up for it in spades. He was already substantially stronger than most children his age.
"You off, then?" A man called, and he nodded, excited.
"To see my family!" He ran down the streets, a small smile across his face. Finally, he'd be able to tell Ivy that he'd done it, all of it, for her. His parents couldn't afford to take care of her like he could, and he burst through the door of his house.
"Violet?" His voice echoed in the silence, reflecting off of the dusty furniture and counter. "Hello?" There was no answer. Jack searched every room of the house, but there was nobody there. His family had gone, and the boy slumped down on the couch to cry. Where had they gone? Why had they left him?
Suddenly, he spotted a piece of paper, tucked away behind a bookshelf, and he grabbed it, hands shaking. He unfolded it, reading it aloud with wide eyes:
"Jack- Mom and Dad said we aren't waiting for you to come home. We are leaving, and I don't know where. I really miss you, and I wish you were home. Mom said you did something really bad, but that can't be right. I know you're a good person, and I will find you one day, okay? Just stay safe, and I know they'll come back. Love, Violet." The little boy slumped down on the floor and cried until he fell asleep, for his family had abandoned him and he was alone.
"Ean!" The scream rent the air, and Jack snapped awake. He was lying upon the cold, hard ground, and he remembered in a flash what was happening. He was lying behind some sort of rock outcrop, and he could not see the battle that raged around him. The air was filled with the sound of song, punctuated by brief roars. Crawling over to the edge of the rock, he peeked over the edge to see a truly horrifying sight: Ean and Gavin motionless upon the ground, and Rye kneeling next to them. Behind him, Iya was darting this way and that, hurling song after song at the monster that was slowly approaching. It was burned and battered, but its single eye glittered with rage as it advanced upon the elven girl.
As Jack watched, she stumbled backwards against a wall, and she had nowhere to run. Rye had no arrows, and Iya was clearly exhausted from everything she had done. Her staff clattered to the ground as she fell to one knee, waiting for her approaching death.
On the ground, Ean's eyes fluttered.
"No…" He gasped, trying to stand, but Jack knew he would never make it. Turning, he began to move back towards the boulder, intending to climb over it and escape. But then something strange happened. The young boy stopped and turned back towards the cyclops that was reaching out for Iya. He felt the knife at his belt, and he remembered Ean's words:
"For emergencies only."
"Ah, screw it." He muttered, and charged at the cyclops with a battle cry. He wasn't sure why he was attempting such a suicidal thing, but his legs acted of their own accord, propelling him forwards as the cyclops bent almost double, reaching for the elf that was trying to crawl away. As he neared, he saw the creature's arm was about two feet off the ground. Without pausing to think, he leapt upwards, landing on the scaly arm as the creature began to straighten up, turning towards him. His hand found his knife, and he drew it with a scream. The knife plunged downward, and the cyclops roared as he gouged out its eye with a vicious slice. He kept going, knowing that he would die if he stopped.
I won't let you take them!
Jack screamed again in terror and desperation as a white form crashed into the monster's chest, knocking him away as the beast fell to the ground with a cry of pain. The massive chicken slashed downwards with its beak, drawing blood as it pecked the ugly face.
Jack struggled to his feet and saw Iya nearby, barely able to move. He grabbed her and hauled her away, dragging her towards Rye as she shouted at Ean.
Ean transformed back into himself as the cyclops struck, but he dodged it and slashed his claws across its eye once more, causing it to clutch at its face. He spun, and his wolf form bared its fangs, ripping sideways as blood poured from the creature's ruined throat. It thrashed once, twice, and then fell silent with one last cry. Jack thought he heard a faint howling sound from the sky, but nothing happened as Ean collapsed once more to the ground. He collapsed as well, mentally drained. Iya's face hovered over him, looking worried.
"Jack? Jack…" But the boy had already passed out, and she turned her attention to Rye, who was still kneeling over Gavin. He looked at her with a solemn expression.
"Gavin will be okay. He just took a hard hit, but his armor protected him from the worst. I've stabilized him with a health potion."
"Thank you." Iya murmured as she knelt over Ean, touching his wrist. To her relief, there was a pulse. Ean appeared to be sleeping, and Iya guessed that it had to do with the new beast spirit that he'd gotten. Rye had moved Gavin and Jack to one side before joining her.
"He'll be okay. Remember, the spirits said it would get harder to bear each one."
"Yeah." Iya said quietly, gripping her staff. "I'll stay her with him. You try to find a way over that boulder."
"Sure thing." Rye squeezed her shoulder and moved off, rummaging in his pack.
"Stop it!" Vincent bellowed as the cyclops raged, thrashing about. Ean could feel every strike, and he knew he could not last much longer. A fist struck him and he buckled, collapsing to one knee.
"I know… you're in there." He coughed, looking at the face of cyclops. "Might as well talk to me." The cyclops paused, evidently considering him. Then it withdrew a foot away and sat down upon the ground, eye closed.
"You freed me." A deep voice, deeper than Vincent's, boomed through the room. Ean heard Amari gasp as some memory was released to her, but he stared into the eye of the beast.
"I did. Who are you?" There was silence, and then:
"Edward." The man said nothing else, and Amari spoke:
"I know him. We lived in the same village. Edward, do you remember me?"
"Amari?" The voice questioned, and the giant chicken nodded.
"Amari, what did you see?" Ean questioned, and the female spirit paused for a moment.
"I saw a small village, with only a couple people in it. I lived there, and so did Edward. But I can't remember where it was yet. Edward was always very quiet, and I was his friend, I think."
"You protected me."
"I did?" Amari asked, but the giant did not speak any more.
"Hmmm… I have received a different memory." Vincent said. "I was on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and there was a little girl there, but I can't quite remember her name…"
"Well, it seems that although you two know each other, you have different stories. Perhaps you will recognize one of the other beast spirits, Vincent." Ean said. He turned back to the cyclops.
"I seek to free you from the curse. Will you help me?"
"… Too soon. Cannot trust." Ean thought he understood the confusion that Edward had. He was unsure of what Ean was really doing, and he didn't trust him just yet.
"I'll earn it, then." He rose and turned away from the spirits. "I have to go. But try to help him, please?"
"I will." Amari said, and Ean thought he heard a cough from Vincent.
"Goodbye, Edward. I'll see you soon."
With a cough and a splutter, Ean rolled to one side as he opened his eyes. They were still in the clearing, and from what he could see, everybody was alive. Gavin was shirtless as Rye wrapped bandages around his side, and Jack was sitting on the ground with a solemn expression. Next to him, Iya had jerked back as he rolled over, but she reached for him as he looked at her.
"Did it-"
"It worked. His name is Edward." Ean said, but was suddenly overtaken by a coughing fit. He fell slightly to one side as Iya held him up. A drop of blood fell to the ground.
"What's wrong?" Iya asked, and Ean grimaced in pain.
"He didn't want to come quietly. I'll be okay in a minute." He thought back to what he had seen after Gavin had fallen. He had been hit hard, but he remembered seeing Iya against the cyclops, and Jack intervening…
"I saw your battle." He said quietly, looking at her. "Very impressive." Iya blushed slightly and looked at Jack, who seemed to be in shock. "He saved you."
"I know. I didn't think he had it in him." She said quietly, and Ean nodded.
"I should talk to him." He managed to stand up, legs wobbling slightly. Iya stood with him, taking his bag from him. "We'll move back into the cave. Let the others know, please." The elf nodded and moved away, leaving Ean standing there. He thought on what had happened as he approached Jack.
"Are you hurt?" The boy shook his head, seemingly frozen to the spot. Ean waited for him to speak.
"Are you going to leave me here?" asked Jack finally, not looking at him.
"Of course not!" Ean said, surprised. "Why would I?"
"I disobeyed your orders." Jack said. Ean knelt next to him, studying the small boy.
"Jack, look at me, please." He did so, and Ean saw a vast array of emotions in the dark eyes. "You saved all of our lives by jumping on the cyclops. And you allowed me to kill it, so I could absorb the spirit. You did nothing wrong."
"I distracted you." Jack said, hanging his head. "Rye was worried about me when he could have saved you."
"No." Ean said. "It was my fault. I underestimated you, Jack. I didn't think you could fight, but you proved me wrong back there." Jack looked up at him at those words, and he saw Ean smiling with something like pride. "I won't underestimate you again, okay?" Jack could not speak, for there was a sudden lump in his throat that he could not swallow. He merely nodded, and the elf placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You ready to go?" They stood and moved towards the cave, where the rest of the party was waiting. Gavin had redonned his shirt and various pieces of armor, although he was still quite pale.
"Gavin, how are you feeling?" asked Ean.
"Fine, I suppose." The warlock said ruefully. "My sorcery helps a little bit, but even healing potions can only do so much. That, and using that scroll I had really took a lot out of me." He sighed, holding his sword like a walking stick. "I'll be okay."
"Just take it easy, okay?" Ean surveyed the others, who had a couple minor injuries between them. "We got lucky that time. We need better protection, I think." Rye nodded.
"We can probably get some in Seri."
"True. For now, let's find the way out of here." Ean said, and the party returned to the darkness of the caves once more.
After wandering around passages that led nowhere for another hour, they finally stumbled upon a passage that seemed promising. Several more groups of snakes and rats attacked them, but they posed little threat compared to the creature lying dead atop the mountain. After what seemed to be several more hours, Ean was the first to emerge into a bright clearing near the base of the range.
"We made it!" He said as they stepped out into the warmth of the sun once more. They were still surrounded by the stony mountains, and there was a large pool of water to the left of the group. In front of them, he could see the main road that curved to the east, and he smiled. "Told you we'd make it out."
"Fair enough." Iya said, standing next to Jack, who was still rather quiet. "But we've got a ways to go yet."
"True." remarked Gavin. "But we may need to take a break. I need to change my bandages." He sat down near the pond and unwrapped his clothes, and Rye knelt to help him.
"Jack." Ean said, catching the boy's attention. "Can you do me a favor and see if there's anything up on the road ahead? Don't go too far, but just see if there is any more obstacles."
"Oh, um, sure." Jack said, and he bounded off towards the road.
"Trying to distract him?" Iya asked as they watched Gavin swallow another healing potion.
"More or less. I've got a feeling his backstory is a lot more tragic than he's letting on. He was moaning in his sleep the other night." Ean replied as he surveyed the area.
"I heard him too." Iya said with a frown. "Just don't push him too hard, Ean."
"I won't." the elf promised. After a couple minutes, Jack returned right as Rye finished his ministrations on Gavin.
"The road seems clear. No signs of anybody, or anything." The boy reported, and Ean nodded.
"Thank you, Jack. I'd say we've got another sixteen hours of traveling, and I'd rather get as far as we can today." Ean looked at the sun, which was beginning to sink towards the horizon. "Gavin, are you good to go for a while?"
"Sure." The red-haired man responded, and the group set off down the road once again after refilling their water skins from the pond. As the sun began to set, the mountains began to diminish in size ever so slightly, going from massive to merely very large. As night fell, Ean called for everyone to halt.
"I think we're almost out of it, but we're going to rest here for the night. I'm sure everyone is tired, but we still need to organize a watch." They found a small overhang to take shelter under, which was just big enough for a fire and their sleeping rolls. Ean fanned the flames as the others had a quick meal before retiring, with Rye on the first watch.
"Let Gavin sleep, yeah?" Ean murmured to him. "I'll take his watch." Rye looked at him.
"What about you?"
"Honestly? I don't know if it's the spirits or something else, but I've got a lot of extra energy. Besides, I can use the time to talk to Edward." He had told the others what he had seen, but he had a feeling there was some things Amari wasn't telling him.
"Fine, fine." Rye waved his hand. "Anyways, get some sleep for now. I'll wake you at midnight." Ean returned to the fire, where the others were already lying down, trying to sleep. For once, Jack was not muttering words as he lay next to the fire, a frown on his face. Ean leaned back against a wall and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the fire on his legs.
It seemed like a second before Rye shook him awake gently before returning to his own bedroll. The elf stretched and yawned before moving to the outside of the outcrop and sitting down.
"Let's see…" He closed his eyes, now familiar with the process of entering the space within his own mind.
"Oh, you're back." Vincent said. "Almost through the mountains, then?"
"Yes." Ean said, looking at the wolf. "We'll be in Seri in two days, probably."
"That's pretty fast." Vincent said. Ean though there was an odd tone to his voice.
"Where are Amari and Edward?"
"They vanished from here a short while ago, but I don't know where they went." Vincent said. "She said something about memories?"
"Interesting." Ean said. "Speaking of, do you have any more information to share? Anything stick out to you?"
"Hmmm… not much, honestly. The little girl is so close, yet so far…" Vincent's voice trailed off, and he sounded sad. "Somebody I knew, maybe?"
"I'm sorry." Ean said. "It must be hard to be unable to remember."
"Oh, don't waste time on that. You've got a lot to do." Vincent said. "Although I do not know where the next creature is. Perhaps I must be closer to sense it's presence."
"But you could sense Edward in the mountains." Ean protested. "Could the others really be that far away?"
"Sorry, kid, but I don't know." Vincent growled. Suddenly, a bright red light filled the area, and two more forms appeared: one relatively small, and one very large.
"Amari?" Ean asked, and the chicken nodded, red eyes glowing.
"Yes, sorry about that. Edward and I were… exploring a memory, I guess?"
"What do you mean?" The elf asked curiously.
"We saw a short part of our childhood. It's hard to explain." Ean frowned.
"Show him." Edward's deep voice echoed in the silence, and the cyclops turned its head towards the group.
"Are you sure?" Ean asked. "You have a right to privacy, Edward."
"It might help." The giant said nothing more, but extended a hand to the elf. Without hesitation, he reached out and grasped it firmly with his own. With a flash of red light, everything around him vanished, only to be replaced by a meadow of green grass and blue skies.
"Whoa." Ean said with an awestruck tone. "You lived here?" The village around them was quite small, but each house was made out of living trees that swayed slightly on the wind. Branches and boughs intertwined to make walls and ceilings, with natural holes for windows. Beyond the village, he could see peaks that stretched into the sky and out of reach. Everything seemed bright and peaceful, but there was something wrong.
"Where is everyone?" Vincent's voice echoed, and Ean jumped. Apparently the spirits could see the memory as well.
"We do not know, or remember. But look." Amari said, and Ean turned around to see the part he had been missing. A very large boy stood at the edge of a river that seemed to form a boundary . He wore thick clothes that covered most of his features, including his head, but Ean could see that the edges of his face were pale. He was slightly bent over, as if in pain.
"Is he crying?" Vincent asked derisively.
"Vincent!" Amari said angrily. "You don't have a right to say that about him!" Edward said nothing, but Ean thought he could feel a slight trace of anger coming from the gently giant.
Indeed, the boy was crying: big, fat tears that dropped to the ground. Ean heard footsteps, and a little girl entered his vision. She was quite small, with olive skin and slightly tapered eyes that were light blue. She wore a plain gray dress that was tattered, but she exuded an air of positivity all the same.
"You?" Ean asked, and he felt Amari nod. The girl stepped up to the bigger boy timidly.
"Are you okay?" Her voice echoed. Edward did not respond, and she stepped closer. "Was it those Wilson boys again?" The boy slowly turned around, and Ean saw an expression of awful anger on his face. The young Amari stepped back quickly as Edward spoke:
"Leave." The girl turned to go, but something in her face hardened, and she stopped defiantly.
"No. Not until you tell me." Edward's eyes widened, and the anger turned into confusion.
"Tell you?"
"Yes. Tell me what happened." Her eyes traveled up Edward's chest until she saw a ring of bruises on his neck. "What did they do to you, Edward?" The boy's face seemed to crumple inwards, and he walked past her towards the village. "Hey! I'm talking to-"
"Nothing happened." Edward said, and he turned to go. Amari watched him go sadly, and everything vanished, leaving Ean in the darkness once more.
"What was that?" He asked, but there was no response. "Amari?" He turned around, looking for the spirits, but their corporeal forms were gone. Suddenly, he heard a chuckle, and he whirled around, claws ready.
"Who is there?" With another laugh, a shadowy figure rose from the ground, red eyes gleaming in the darkness.
"It was easy to take you from them. But even I cannot hold them forever." The figure was large, but the proportions were off, as though it was carrying something on its back.
"What?" Ean demanded, but the creature did not answer. "What did you do with them?"
"I set them against each other, and it weakened their power enough to take you away. They'll realize it soon, but until then…" The red eyes glowed brighter, and black lips parted in a cruel smile. "I can hold you here. I can make you suffer."
"Suffer?" Ean said, but he suddenly felt a searing pain on his hands, as though he was being burned. He looked down to see that his claws had vanished, only to be replaced by red cracks that were slowly spreading up his arms towards his chest. He screamed, and the figure laughed.
"What are you doing to me?" He cried, and the pain doubled. Clutching his arms to his chest, he screamed again as the monster chuckled and faded into the darkness.
Ean awakened with a gasp, clutching his hands tightly. They were smooth and unhurt, but he knew he had not imagined the pain.
"Who was that?" He muttered, but he received no answer. Evidently, the spirits were still separated from him.
"Just great." He said as he leaned back against a rock and resumed his watch. However, no matter where he looked, he could still see the red lines tracing their way up his limbs, into his heart.