Chronicles of Espiria Season 2
Episode 28 – Fading Hope (Season Finale)
Written by the Dude and Stormrider
Lucius had just finished his duties in the temple for the day and was on his way to visit Belinda in the Healing Sanctuary. On his way, he noticed Lady Oakenfell walking toward the sanctuary as well. They met at the door and entered together.
"Lucius, how is Belinda?"
"She is fine for now, but I should warn you; she has taken the precaution of having herself shackled to the bed."
"Shackles? You are sure such measures are necessary?"
"It was done at her request. Whatever Mehira did to her has not faded; she still has her moments when she would be a danger to the healers if she were free. Our best healers still seek a remedy, but for now, they remain at a loss."
"She is not.." Lady Oakenfell lowered her voice, "...possessed?"
"No, she would have no control over herself at all if that were the case. Besides, our healers have many methods of exorcism at their disposal."
"I've no doubt." Lady Oakenfell grumbled, her thoughts drifting to the Path of Ascension for a moment before returning to Belinda. "Do you think anyone would object if I was to bring in my personal physician to see her? He is quite brilliant."
Lucius considered the suggestion a moment. "I suppose if Belinda were to agree. But I fail to see what a doctor might find that our healers have missed. After all, this is no mortal disease that afflicts her."
"Humor me, please."
Lucius thought a moment. "If Belinda agrees to it, you may summon him."
Lucius and Lady Oakenfell entered the room in which Belinda was being kept. They found her chained to the bed, deep in prayer. Lady Oakenfell noted that her staff was propped up lovingly in the opposite corner, next to a small desk used by the healers to take notes. Belinda opened her eyes when she heard the door close behind her guests.
"Lucius! Elizabeth! Thank the Celestials that I am lucid for this visit!"
"You are stronger than you give yourself credit for." Lady Oakenfell responded with a smile.
Lucius said nothing; he just smiled a worried smile.
"Are you safe?" Belinda asked. "You cannot still be staying at the manor."
"Oscar found a temporary residence here in Ranhorn for me, Matthew, and my servants. We should be fine for now."
"And Rosaline?"
"No new news yet." Lady Oakenfell said with a concerned sigh. "Oscar is preparing to go look for her, and Arden is sending one of his warriors to help."
"Oscar should be safe in the care of a Wilder guard. I worked with one before; she was formidable."
"I've no doubt, but Oscar assures me that he can look after himself as well. I just hope he's right; I've grown quite fond of him."
"He will have my prayers. In the meantime, Lucius, have you found anything new about the Wellspring?"
"Wellspring?" Lady Oakenfell asked with curiosity.
"Belinda heard Mezoth speak the word at the monastery, and we all heard Mehira use it to speak of Rosaline." Lucius answered. "I found very little about it myself, but Cecilia and Arden were able to tell me more in their messages to us. It seems that every few generations, there is a human born with special abilities, one of the powers of Dura, a sort of parting gift after her death. This human is called a Wellspring, because he or she bubbles over with this gift as a spring bubbles up from the earth to water the land. It would seem that the Hypogeans believe Rosaline to be a Wellspring, but what they want with her is still beyond me."
"Of course she is!" Belinda tried to sit up in excitement, but was held back by her shackles. "She has the ability to bring life to dead things! We saw this when she carried on conversations with Elizabeth's dishware; she brought them to life so that she could make friends with them, just as Dura might have!"
"With that sort of power in the hands of the Hypogeans, they could build a nearly endless army literally from the dust of the earth!" Lucius pondered.
"My gut tells me that their plot is yet more nefarious," Belinda mused, "but all the more reason that Oscar must rescue her! Come, let us pray for the protection of the Celestials over Oscar."
Belinda took the hands of Lucius and Lady Oakenfell and prayed a prayer of protection over Oscar and all who might accompany him, as well as Lady Oakenfell and her household. As they prayed together, Athalia and the Twins looked on, unseen by the mortals, enjoying the sweet aroma of the prayer. Unlike the healers in the sanctuary, they could see the root of Belinda's ailment; on the spiritual plane, it appeared as a rusted meat hook stuck in Belinda's heart, placed by Mehira in an attempt to turn the priestess from the Light and into her wicked arms for eternity. Already the rust had tainted Belinda's heart, but she still resisted Mehira's siren call as best she could.
"She fights the curse harder than most." Lailah noted.
"Her faith makes her strong." Elijah noted.
"She is only mortal." Athalia observed. "She cannot resist forever."
"Then we must intervene." Lailah concluded.
"After all she has done in service to Dura, we cannot let her fall like this." Elijah reasoned.
"Any attempt to remove the curse will kill her." Athalia warned. "But I am not against this; better to take her life now than to let her soul be lost to Mehira. I could even be persuaded to escort her myself to her reward in the Underworld."
"But there is yet more for her to do." Lailah pleaded.
"Orthros has decreed it." Elijah reasoned.
"The alternative is to let her fall to the curse and become no better than a Hypogean." Athalia warned again.
"Her faith makes her strong." Elijah noted.
"She will resist long enough for us to find a better way to help her." Lailah said.
Athalia was silent as she considered the Twins' request.
"I will allow this. For now."
Back at the temporary residence Oscar had found, Oscar was preparing for his journey. Matthew was not happy.
"What do you mean I can't go with you? Rosaline is my sister!"
"Her protection is still my responsibility, Master Matthew. I need you to stay here and keep watch over Lady Oakenfell."
"But..."
"I need someone I can trust to protect the Mistress, and you are the one I trust most right now. Please, Master Matthew."
Matthew fell silent for a moment before responding again. "You better bring her back alive."
"Oh, I intend to, Master Matthew. And Dura help anyone who tries to stop me."
Oscar left soon after, armed with knives of all shapes and sizes concealed in every conceivable part of his clothing. He paused at the royal archery range, since Arden had arranged for him to meet his Wilder companion here. He was glad to not be going alone, but he had heard stories of the Wilder whom Arden had chosen that made him nervous. The Rogue of the Forest, as she was sometimes known, was difficult to predict at best, and he did not like unpredictability.
As he considered his options, an arrow whizzed past his face and came to rest in a nearby target, two circles off center. The arrow was made from forest brambles and had icy blue fletching. Oscar, never once flinching, drew a conclusion about the shooter.
"You missed, Ira."
Ira emerged from the bushes she was hiding in with a knowing smile. "Did I?"
Oscar examined the arrow again and was surprised to find a small shape squished against the arrow tip. A fly.
"Impressive." Oscar admitted, still maintaining his confident air. "It seems Miss Rosaline will be receiving the best of aid."
"Yeah, yeah." Ira replied as she pulled her hood further over her face; being in the open like this made her nervous. "You ready to go?"
"Of course. We will first return to Oakenfell Manor and try to pick up the demon's trail from there."
"Sounds like a plan." Ira said as she retreated into the bushes. Oscar left to retrieve his horse, knowing that Ira would join him again once he was out of Ranhorn.