by Sarah Lin
Companion Nauda had it worst, shivering miserably even when it wasn't cold and constantly shifting her head as if searching for light. In the beginning she had relaxed in the sleigh, but as the journey continued, her muscles grew increasingly tense. Her neck was held unnaturally stiff, and she sat so awkwardly it had caused a muscle spasm in her thigh. She wouldn't complain, at least not to Fiyu directly, but she was clearly unhappy.
By contrast, Companion Theo seemed largely unaffected by the environment. Perhaps it was because he had traveled in Ichil before, or perhaps because his world was not so bright. Most of the time, his muscles were relaxed and only his soul remained intense, seeking for threats. Yet occasionally, when he moved unnaturally slowly or fumbled for the objects in his pack, she remembered that he was completely blind.
Even though it was not strictly necessary, Fiyu decided to call a halt. She eagerly set up their tents, all three in a row, just like traveling companions should be. Though she picked a spot next to a particularly beautiful set of stone spines carved by the wind, she realized that her companions couldn't see them. Theo made his way alongside the sleigh to his, only stumbling a little on the ground, but Companion Nauda remained where she sat.
"Nauda, you can rest now." Fiyu stepped beside her, speaking quietly so as not to startle her. "I have put your lantern in your tent. You can use the light now."
"Thank you, Fiyu." Companion Nauda smiled at her instinctively, but only a few muscles in her face shifted. Even though it was too dark to be seen, Companion Nauda was still attempting to be encouraging.
For a moment, Fiyu felt an impulse to embrace the other woman, to do something to comfort her. She knew that on Tatian, such a thing would be completely normal, and Companion Nauda would no doubt appreciate it. Yet it felt wrong... instead, Fiyu reached out and brushed Companion Nauda's wrist before grabbing her sleeve.
"Follow me. Be careful with the bush just to your left." Fiyu led Companion Nauda toward her tent, as she had so often been led through the cities.
As soon as she was inside, even before the double flaps had closed, Companion Nauda flooded the lantern with cantae, producing so much light it nearly overwhelmed the tent. Fragments of it flashed into the Greater Dark, shocking in their intensity. Fiyu carefully scanned the environment for any movement, but she thought the light had flared too briefly to attract anything.
It was time for her to take action. Her plan might not be adequate, but she did have a plan. Fiyu walked to the sleigh and pulled up the pack she had placed below the front seat, opening one of the hidden compartments. Within, she had stored a number of things that she hoped might help.
She carefully returned to the tent, preparing the outer flap to shield the light. For a moment she almost forgot her mask, at the last moment withdrawing it from her robes to place on properly. Then she ducked under the outer flap and pushed into the burning dome.
"Nauda, I have something for you." Fiyu gave her brightest smile and set a small package down in front of her. "This is dried flamefruit. I hope that you will enjoy it."
"From Tatian?" Companion Nauda stared at her in surprise, then snatched it up and tore it open to get a bite. Immediately after she let out a sigh. "It is... how did you get this?"
"I purchased it the last time we were in Nlukoko. It was part of our supplies, but I saved it until now."
"Thank you, Fiyu." Though Companion Nauda smiled, and this movement did reach the muscles beside her eyes, she drew her arms closer to her body. As if the taste of home had also reminded her of the temperature.
"You are cold! I will get a blanket." Fiyu swept back out of the tent before Companion Nauda could object, scurrying back to the sleigh to pick up one of the reserve blankets.
If she had known how cold they would be, she would have advised them to bring even more clothes, but she had taken precautions with extra blankets. Hopefully this one would help Companion Nauda. Fiyu again tapped on the outside of the tent, then ducked inside and placed the blanket in front of the other woman... no, on her folded legs. That would be more personal.
"Here you go, Nauda. This will help you be warm."
Companion Nauda did wrap it around her shoulders, though she also gave an odd smile. "Are you not cold?"
"Some parts of Ichil are very cold, but this is not." Fiyu frowned and shook her head. "At least, not for me. Fortunately, we do not have to journey anywhere like the Deep Ice for this trip. If we do, I will advise you to bring many clothes and blankets."
"Well, thank you, Fiyu. This helps."
Uncertain if her presence would also help or only make Companion Nauda more uncomfortable, Fiyu lingered awkwardly and then eventually slipped out of the tent. Though the fabric absorbed nearly all the light, she could sense a nearly imperceptible brightness, so she walked some distance away until she could face true shadows.
They had made excellent progress, but their goal was still some distance away. Fiyu hoped that her companions could finish the journey alongside her.
Chapter 26
Just when Fiyu began to hope that they could complete their journey through the Greater Dark without any serious incidents, she felt a presence at the edge of her ability to perceive. Someone else traveled this part of the expanse... alarming enough on its own, but it was a large number of individuals milling about. She hoped that they were merely setting up a camp, but their behavior continued to be unusual, which suggested that there could be a problem.
"There are people to the north," Fiyu said. She felt Companion Nauda immediately sit up and try to look on instinct, while Companion Theo began generating cantae. He was the first to respond.
"Attacking?"
"No, I think something is wrong. But it could easily be a trap of some sort, as they are strangers."
"Why do you say something might be wrong?" Companion Nauda asked.
"Because they continually move around an unmoving object of varying density. It may be a broken wagon." Fiyu didn't change their course, but her fingers twitched over the sleigh's controls as she strained to determine more about the far off group. "I cannot feel them in great detail, but it is possible that they are in distress."
"If this place is so dangerous, how would they call for help?"
"They wouldn't." Companion Theo cut off any potential response, climbing up into the second seat and extending his senses, though they were insufficient. "Unless they're Ruler-tier soulcrafters, your stealth should be sufficient. Move closer until you can get a better feel for them."
Companion Theo said what she had been thinking, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to take the action. She was ranging in the Greater Dark without an elder relative, after all, and such an action was highly unusual. The strangers were not her relatives at all, yet she felt as though it would be better to do something for them if possible.
After reinforcing the sphere around her, Fiyu extended her senses over the group. It was easiest to confirm that the large object was indeed a wagon, lying on its side. A slightly dense material formed a large pile beside it, presumably what the vehicle had been transporting. She thought it was foolish of them not to have used a sledge in such an environment, for this very reason.
She looked first for what had disrupted them in case it was a source of danger, her senses delving deep into a crevice. It was narrow and filled with dense spiked stones. Their patterns were beautiful, if common, but for the first time it occurred to her to wonder how they would look in the presence of light. Given their flat and polished surfaces, she suspected they would glitter, which her companions might enjoy. However, she did not know what creatures might live in the Greater Dark's crevices, so she merely watched for movement below as they approached the group.
As they moved alongside the group, she was able to make out the individuals. There were no less than five of them, some working at the bottom of the wagon and others still moving about. She sensed physical exertion on behalf of those by the wagon, and the others moved stiffly, likely as a result of tensi
on. Unless they hid their strength, only two were first tier soulcrafters...
"It appears to be a group of five, transporting goods across the Greater Dark when their wagon was damaged," Fiyu reported. "They have limited soulcrafting ability and are only lightly armed. It seems that they are in distress, to be stranded in this location."
There was a pause, then Companion Nauda leaned forward expectantly. "Well? Aren't we going to help them?"
"They are still strangers. We must be cautious, in case they have deceived my senses." Still, Fiyu thought that she was correct, so she released her technique and let out a low whistle. It was designed to echo, not revealing her location precisely, but still opening potential interaction.
After several heartbeats, a warbling whistle came in response. Companion Theo's face contorted in displeasure before he spoke. "I don't think I know what that one means."
"It was improperly done, but I believe they meant a cry for help." Fiyu shook her head as she shifted the sleigh to move toward the fallen wagon. "They are likely to be cavesteaders, or another group that does not understand how to range in this region. I hope it will not be a burden to assist them."
When they approached the group, Fiyu was able to make them out in greater detail: two men, two women, and a child. Likely one of the relative units that she had once found strange, though such units seemed much less so after witnessing families in other worlds. Their physical condition suggested extreme emotional distress, which finally allowed her to set aside most concerns about it being a potential trap.
Stopping the sleigh at a safe distance, Fiyu whispered to her companions to join her and then stepped forward. The small group had realized their location now and gathered together, nearly touching one another in a defensive cluster. Anywhere else, Fiyu would have spoken to them at a reasonable distance, but the Greater Dark required quiet, so they needed to come absurdly close, only a pace away.
"We greet you," Fiyu said. "We are only visitors here, but we may be able to assist."
"Thank the Dark you came." One of the Stranger Women spoke and Fiyu's mind reeled as she heard two voices simultaneously. The one that spoke to her soul was perfectly understood as a result of her movement through the gate, while the one that spoke to her ears was composed of half-understood words. Clearly, they used a trade language she had only partially learned, but there was no time to focus on that, not with tense negotiations underway.
"I assume this is your wagon of goods. What were you attempting to do?"
"We have heard tales of a fantastical path to other lands. Places outside the known world, we mean. But a trusted relative said that he knew a merchant who achieved great profits from selling goods there. A brief journey through the Greater Dark did not seem a terrible risk for a sight of fantastical lands, but now..."
It was quite an unnecessary speech, removing her doubt that he was a cavesteader. More surprisingly, they appeared to be innocents, not even aware of the existence of other worlds. Fiyu attempted to glance back to Companion Theo before realizing that her action was doubly strange: first, he could not see her, and second, she would never have done such a thing before.
Still, even without an exchanged glance, she could feel Companion Theo's expression tightening in something like pity, or perhaps derision. She considered that she should tell him that some Ichili would be able to sense his expression, because normally his face was tightly controlled. In any case, the negotiation was more important.
"The tales you heard are true," Fiyu said, "but the path you seek is many days away, over dangerous ground. We cannot pass that way without sacrificing our own journey, but we could help you reach a safe location."
"But without our goods, we are ruined." A Stranger Man took several steps toward the wagon to indicate the spilled items. "Your vehicle does not appear capable of transporting everything."
"This is true, but fortunately for you, we have other means. Companion Nauda?" Fiyu turned back to her companion, who stood with her staff planted firmly beside her, though the tension in her back showed that she was putting up a front.
Not caring what the others thought, Fiyu took hold of Companion Nauda's sleeve and guided her past the group to the wagon. Once Fiyu led her to the edge and whispered of the wagon's position, Companion Nauda easily lifted the wagon upright. Several of the Stranger Cavesteaders gasped softly, impressed by their strength, but they would be more impressed when Companion Theo joined them.
"You want to levitate the wagon behind us?" he said. Though his eyes were closed and he was oriented in the wrong direction, he'd clearly understood much.
"As well as these five people and all of their supplies. It is not too heavy?"
"Weight has nothing to do with it. The only hard part will be stopping the momentum." Companion Theo waved a hand and the wagon lifted off the ground, before another one of his strange fields reversed it. The wagon wobbled up and down before Companion Nauda grasped it again, stabilizing it.
Their actions had left the strangers awestruck, but unfortunately, what followed was a great deal more tedious. The strangers needed to pick up all of their spilled goods, as well as take down their partial camp. Beyond that, they would need to attach the wagon to the sleigh, and Fiyu was not willing to let strangers near her vehicle, so many steps would be required.
While they retrieved their goods, Fiyu examined the items carefully, in case the groups had more sinister motives for taking the risk. She identified many solid fabrics, their surfaces woven in patterns for aesthetics. Several spheres of artistry, though not particularly well-crafted. Some organic materials and pots that appeared to contain glazes. So far as her senses could penetrate, everything was perfectly ordinary.
Recognizing that the tasks might take some time, Fiyu went to Companion Nauda and helped her set up a tent so that she could sit within the light while they worked. Meanwhile, Companion Theo was required to stay next to their sleigh, modifying his fields as the Stranger Family took an unacceptably long time gathering everything, often moving the wagon while adding items. Though silent by the standards of most other worlds, she found them unacceptably loud for such a region.
While they worked, Fiyu learned more of their story. Not personal details, of course, but they revealed that one of their wagon wheels had fallen into a cleft in the ground. There were many such clefts, which was why a sledge would have been a better choice.
She learned the reason for their unusual openness soon: some of their goods had fallen into the cleft and they hoped to retrieve them. Normally she would have considered this unacceptable, but Companion Theo was able to to levitate them upwards to the ground.
There was a strange tension in Companion Theo's eyebrows that she recognized as a sign he was thinking deeply. When there was nothing else required of her, she stepped beside him and spoke softly. "Have you noticed something?"
"Nothing serious." Companion Theo frowned again, but when she did not depart, he continued with his thoughts. "I realized that I have some awareness of objects in my gravitational fields. At first I thought I shouldn't, but then I started thinking about how all objects do have gravity, if only a little. Right now the sense isn't fine enough to use, but perhaps..."
"You could develop a real sense." It was a fascinating idea, though certainly not advanced enough to make out fine details. That explained how his movements in the group were no longer completely blind. She looked forward to discussing the matter further with him.
While they spoke the strangers moved in various inefficient patterns, so Fiyu realized too late that the child had wandered away from the others. That alone was terrible lack of discipline, and she intended to inform the relatives and perhaps remind them about the dangers.
Too late, Fiyu realized that the child had wandered toward the tent where Companion Nauda sat. Before she could do anything, the child pulled open the flap and blinding light flared out into the darkness.
She attempted to move toward the tent, too slow to prevent what had already h
appened. The child let out a scream and fell back, sobbing and clutching its eyes. Companion Nauda thankfully understood the danger and grabbed the flap to pull it back into place, then attempted to close every gap that cast light into their surroundings. Fiyu swept in and grasped the child's mouth, silencing its cries as quickly as possible.
Her heart thundered in her chest as the landscape around them again became quiet and dark. The disruption had been significant, but also brief, so she hoped that they had been lucky.
In the darkness around them, she felt swift-moving shapes swarm from underground clefts and begin to converge on their location.
~ ~ ~
For a brief moment, Theo considered that they might have courted disaster, then he felt Fiyu's cantae rush from her soulhome. Whatever she felt, she clearly sensed danger, and that was a very bad sign.
Exerting the full extent of his willpower, Theo tried to sense cantae around them. Something slithered at the edges of his grasp, cantae of a predator far too subtle for its average victims. Even with the experience of a full lifetime, Theo could only get a sense of sublime beasts, converging on them from all sides. He wanted to ask Fiyu for information, but then it was too late.
Blue lights lit up all around them as the beasts opened their eyes. Not to hunt, but to shock their prey. The Ichili family let out a wail and cowered, and even Fiyu flinched.
Theo reacted without any more thought, slamming down gravitational fields all around him. He knew Fiyu and Nauda by their soulhomes and avoided them, but everything else he simply flattened. It was immediately rewarding to see the blue eyes drop to the ground and he tried to catch his breath. Before he could, the cries of pain began.
"No, you must not!" Fiyu grasped at the front of his shirt, her face actually visible in the reflected light. "You are hurting them."
At first, he didn't react, seized by survival instinct. His mind was fixated on the danger around him: sublime beasts like these were talented pack predators, with teeth that could no doubt tear into him. If he let them go, they would descend on him, and his life would end right there. He couldn't allow that, even if...
