For a moment Lyn was sorely tempted; she was indeed exhausted. Exhausted from her journey, from the torments and worries and the weight of her responsibility. She just wanted to close her eyes to sleep, and never wake up.
But then the moment was over, and she felt rage building from deep within her, pulling as if from a great angry chasm in her heart. The demon Umbra could sense the change and shifted uncertainly in the air.
Suddenly a splitting pain started on her forehead, and Lyn screamed in anguish. It felt as though someone were cutting her head open slowly with a hot knife. She fell to her knees, clutching at her face. To her horror, she felt and saw a third eye open on her forehead, just like Marcho. The room blurred in front of her and tears streamed down her face, but her cries now were no longer in pain, her tears were not agony. It was fury, pure blind fury of an ancient hatred. She felt something leave her, and from her third eye a billowing black cloud began to form. It writhed and twisted itself into the shadowed silhouette of a great wolf head, roaring alongside her at the now cowering Umbra.
"What have you done?" Umbra shouted in panic. "What have you done?"
Chapter 12
24th day, 12th lunar cycle, 700th age of Arc
"My nightmare last night was a strange one. Marcho finally faced the demon Umbra, and it seemed to feel real fear. I have not yet spoken to Marcho again, but after last night I feel like intent has been declared, and the hunt officially begun. I have never seen Umbra outside the dream world; I do not know how or when it will appear in actuality. I hope that Marcho knows what he is doing, because I certainly do not. I still have not seen Siege, but there is a feeling of bated breath in the air, as if before a great storm. I can feel the pressure, and I know that the storm will be coming soon. Today I will go out to find Siege, and see if I can't convince him to leave this place with me before the thundering of fate sweeps us away. However did I get involved in all of this?"
Lyn could not find Siege nearby, and no one had claimed to have seen him recently. She began to worry; she knew he was enraptured with the search for his brother, but he had not checked in and she was concerned that he had gotten himself into trouble. Or he could still be upset at her for her drunken fit. She wasn't sure which worried her more, Siege being in trouble or her being in trouble with Siege.
Finally she came across someone who said they had seen him leaving Range, and pointed her in the direction he had gone. When she asked after him, the person said that he seemed very distracted, and in a rush. Lyn, throwing back a hastily thank you, was already on her way.
The weather in Range was much better than it had been on her way up, and luckily it was not a largely traversed town. As such, she was able to find Siege's large boot prints in the snow and track him. But as she did so, she grew increasingly concerned; another pair of large boot prints met up with Siege's a while out of town, and it seemed as though pacing changed drastically after that. Longer spaces in between the footprints with deeper imprints indicated a chase.
Lyn followed closely, moving around bent nearly double as she studied the prints. A large area roughly circular was worn down where no prints could be made out. Lyn's brow tightened as she concentrated, trying to make something out.
"They clashed here," a voice said behind her. She jumped and turned about, her knife out of the sheath and at the ready. Marcho stood behind her, off to the side where he would not disturb the tracks.
Lyn bared her teeth at him in anger. "When will you stop doing that?" she asked rhetorically.
Marcho sat passively, unmoved by her outburst.
She grunted, and turned back to the disturbed snow. "Do you know who this was?"
Marcho watched her, and then inclined his great head slowly. Realizing he wasn't going to say anymore unless pressed, Lyn dropped it. She figured she would find out soon enough, anyway. There were no blood spatters or missing pieces of anything, so Lyn suspected that the two combatants both came away relatively unharmed. Turning away from Marcho once more, she traced the footsteps. One set led away, and another kept going into the trees and snow.
Lyn stood, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm not sure which one of these is Siege," she said offhandedly.
The Voidwolf came up beside her and put his nose to the tracks with a sniff. "This way," he said, leading her forward.
They walked in silence as a light snow began to fall upon the erstwhile trackers. There were no sounds of animals or wind, just an untouched quiet as the snow gently fell around them. Lyn's breath fogged the air in front of her, each inhale bringing the crisp air into her lungs. This quiet was the same that she had experienced on her way up the mountain; an unforgiving, harsh silence. A silence that told her she did not belong there. The world holding its breath as if in great anticipation.
As the two continued along, a noise met Lyn's ear; it sounded like ragged breaths. Rushing forward, Lyn saw Siege leaned up against a tree, his great sword propped up against it. He was leaning forward, his blonde hair cascading down to his knees and blocking his face. His armored form moved up and down slightly, and his breathing came loudly.
"Siege!" Lyn called to him as she came to his side, but he did not respond. She reached out to touch him, but pulled back, instead venturing quietly, "Siege?"
Still, he offered no response. She turned and saw to her surprise that Marcho was still present, watching the two closely.
"What is the matter with him?" Lyn asked with a sharp edge of panic to her voice. She could not tell if he was injured, but the sound of his breathing made her suspect he was.
Marcho did not approach but he did answer her with, "He has been touched by the darkness."
Lyn shot an unappreciative look to the great black wolf. "Marcho this is no time to be cryptic. Please, is he hurt?"
"No."
"Then help me lift him and we'll get him out of here."
"No."
Lyn turned back slowly to face the demon. "Marcho," she said quietly, meeting his eyes with intensity. "What are you doing?"
"Serving my purpose," he replied simply.
"We need to get him to safety. If he has been touched by Umbra as you claim, he will be vulnerable like this. You yourself said we should get away to safety."
"It is too late, now."
She took a hard step towards him, her fists clenched. "You helped me, help him! Get inside his head like you did mine, expel Umbra!"
"I cannot." The great wolf shook his massive head slowly from side to side.
"Why?" Lyn yelled, her concern becoming anger. But the wolf remained where he was and said nothing for a few moments.
Finally he said slowly, "You do not understand. His connection to the darkness is not the same as yours was. Umbra was testing you, toying. Nothing more. His hold on this man is much deeper, and much more complexly manipulated. I can do nothing short of exterminating the demon itself."
"Then why are you still here? What are you doing following me around? You found what you've been looking for, leave us alone!"
Marcho's lip twitched, revealing the steely teeth beneath. "I am still here because the situation is not so simple. I am still here because this man's brother is Umbra."
It took Lyn some time for this to sink in, and as she stood in the snow the flakes landed on her face and melted in rivulets. She stared at Marcho's crimson eyes, unblinking as the snowfall wet her face.
The world stood still a moment, and Lyn breathed, "No." It could not be, Lyn thought. If Siege's brother was the demon Umbra, it explained so much, but the ramifications for Siege were world-shattering. Siege knew nothing of Marcho or Umbra, and what he was in for. Lyn's heart broke for him, and for herself; any chance she or Siege possibly had of not being any more involved were destroyed. They were full in the thick of it now, and Lyn saw only one party walking away from it. She just hoped it was hers.
--
Afternoon came and went before Lyn was finally able to get Seige back to the inn. Marcho refused to touch Siege, saying that Umbra woul
d smell him on the blonde man and it was possible that Umbra would flee once more. Lyn prodded, lifted and shifted until she had Siege leaning against her, and the two trudged back to town in silence. The brief look Lyn did manage to get at Siege showed his mouth slightly agape, his breath coming in a forced manner, and his eyes wide and dull. She did not know where he was, but she hoped he came back soon.
Once she had him back to the inn, the inn keep helped her to take him up to his room. The man attempted to remove Siege's armor, but Lyn stopped him. Instead, they settled for a warm, damp cloth over his forehead. Lyn had them bring up food and a hot drink to put by his bed in case he came out of his stupor.
She returned to the town outskirts in hopes of seeing Marcho and getting some answers, but he did not appear to her. Feeling lost, she went back to her room to await the coming day.
No sooner had she laid her head upon her pillow that her lids closed and she drifted off. But rest was not forthcoming; she found herself back in Umbra's nightmare quicker than ever. But this night was different even than the last; the room was barely formed, and warped as though it was being looked at through curved glass.
She stepped out into the hallway, and was immediately met with the sound of twisted whispers, as though there were a group of people just downstairs all whispering about different things. She couldn't make out any of the words, but the sound disturbed her. She turned to look at the other side of the hallway, but there was nothing except a void. The stairs gave her a hard time, warped as they were. As she came down them, she saw the common room nearly empty. There were no chairs, no tables or bar. Even one of the walls was missing. This room, like the others, was warped and sat askew. The whispers came louder here, but she saw nothing except shifting darkness seething from the cracks in the floor as if it were small licks of black flame.
"You have brought him here, Lyn World-Walker. You know not what you do. You have brought him here, to us. He will destroy everything. Even you are not safe from him."
The multitude of voices spoke low, as if it pained them to talk. Lyn said nothing but fear was thick in the air, and she was not sure all of it was hers.
"You knew the cost of your actions, Umbra. You knew your enemy of old, and he didn't simply give up."
The voices hissed and spoke more insistently now. "You know nothing of which you speak. You have only the Voidwolf and his word. You think him any cleaner of conscience than Umbra? You think his teeth and fangs bereft of blood? He speaks only the truths that are convenient, and he hides their price. Who led you knowingly to me? Who failed to warn you or protect you? He used you for his own ends!"
Lyn grit her teeth; despite her inherent mistrust of Umbra, some of what it said rang true to thoughts that had crossed Lyn's mind.
"You claim that you would not? You manipulate for your own gain, and leave destruction in your wake."
A cackle let out from the shadows. "You play the demon's advocate. I do not deny that I have my own motivations. But I have ever been up front about them, have I not? I told you who and what I am, and what I intend to do. What do you know of the Voidwolf? That he hunts me for the sake of your kind? Better the demon you know, dear Lyn."
"You mistake me for someone who requires a side. I have my own purpose, my own goals. I care nothing for your fight. What should I care if Marcho rips you to pieces? The world doesn't need either of you."
The inky black tendrils whirled and coalesced back into the vaguely human shade. The multitude of voices spat in anger. "You know less of yourself and your world than you think, human. You are not even able to accept the darkness in your own heart; how could you possibly hope to change the world at all? How, as you are, could you hope to save your people? Meager little girl, what do you possibly have to offer that the world would want?"
Lyn felt as though an icicle pierced her heart, and she went cold. Tears formed in her eyes and she could feel them threatening to run openly. She willed herself not to cry in front of the demon, willed herself not to let it win.
The shade took a step towards her and reached out a smoky arm. Lyn recoiled, her teeth bared in disgust. The voices spoke quietly now, almost gently, but their whispers still sent shivers through the young Druid.
"Lyn. Lyn, help yourself. I don't make false promise; I only offer the opportunity for you to accept who you are. Who you really are, and make the best of it. The world is not all light and joy and certainty. You know this. You live in the great forest, where life is entropy. You have seen it; the strong survive, the weak do not. There is no malice, it is only nature. I exist because of the very nature of the human spirit. You cannot deny me, in one form or another, I will always be here."
The whole room shuddered, as though the very integrity of the place was unraveling. "I am the knowledge of death, Lyn. I am the part of you that wants to end it all. The sudden rush when a blade is put to you. I am the madness that colors the edge of every thought and feeling, the little illogical part of you that tells you to go when everything else says stop. And do you know what, Lyn World-Walker? Life does not exist without me."
"You are wrong," Lyn said with defiance. "Life is not the chaos that you facilitate. Life is love, and beauty. Simple joy, like watching a sunrise. You are alone and formless, and you lash out because you have no purpose. You simply exist, and that drives you mad."
A dark laugh boomed through the space, and Lyn clapped her hands to her ears to block it out. But the voices were in her head, and she could not avoid them.
"You speak empty words, World-Walker. Your people have known this for generations. That is why they hid themselves away in the forest. It was their last place of solitude from the world. You call yourselves World-Walkers and Elders, but you have done nothing but hide and deny just like the rest. Oh yes Lyn, your people know me well indeed. You have seen the inevitability of death. You have seen how men revel in the hunt like beasts. You have seen how the weak minds and desires pollute the soul and twist even the highest of man into mere puppets of basic whim. That is all you become if you deny me, Lyn. A puppet. A slave to your fears."
The voices silenced themselves one by one until all she heard was the soft, familiar voice of her beloved Nana. "All you will have left is the wait for inexorable fate to carry you away into nothing. You won't even be the echo of a memory to the world. It will be as though you never existed at all."
Lyn felt the tears flow openly now. She knew she was being manipulated, that somehow Umbra was reading the utmost secrets of her heart and using them against her. But the pain she felt was real, and the fears no less valid for Umbra manipulating them.
The voice morphed into a masculine, fatherly voice. Sternly it said, "It is this simple. Join me now, have a chance at becoming more than you could ever have been otherwise. Embrace what you are, do not let your ignorance control you. Laugh in the face of fate. Or die struggling against something you know nothing about, for no reason. Because I say again, in this form or another, you cannot escape me."
Lyn stood fast, her heart heavy in her chest. She was so tired, she just wanted some peace. But she knew what Umbra offered was not peace, and that she would find no real rest with the darkness.
So with tears rolling down her face and shoulders slumped in exhaustion, she simply said, "No."
The shade roared in fury and dissipated with a blast of wind. It howled around her like a dark tempest. The angry voices hissed at her threateningly and she made out their words to be, "Death will come for you. For all of you. It will slip through the cracks in every closed door. It will hound your step at every drawn breath. It will whisper your name in the wind, and when you turn to look there will be nothing but your own shadow. And that is where I will be waiting, in your shadow, to swallow you whole!"
--
Lyn woke to dim morning light; the sun had not yet come up. Despite her exhaustion, she could not go back to sleep. She sat up in her bed and cradled her head in her hands. She missed home, she missed simplicity, and she knew that she could neve
r go back to exactly how things were before. So she sat quietly and cried until she couldn't anymore. Then she cleaned herself up, and got ready for the day.
Siege was not in the common room yet, so she decided to get breakfast ordered for him and take it up to the room. She knocked on his door with one hand, balancing a tray in the other, but did not hear anything from within. She turned the handle and opened the door to find Siege sitting on his bed, staring in to nothing. He did not comment on Lyn's presence, but after she set down the tray he began slowly to eat.
They sat in silence while he ate, and when he was finished he said quietly, "I saw him yesterday. Ren."
Lyn did not respond, but sat watching him. She could tell he was distressed, but she did not know what was bothering him more; seeing his brother, or the touch of madness that Umbra had wrought.
"I had harbored some hope that I could somehow fix things still. That somehow, the brother I knew would still be there and we could go home. I was a fool." He hung his head, his unkempt hair tumbling past his face. "There is no going back now," he said quietly.
Lyn reached out hesitantly and put a hand on his armor. Such sadness, she thought to herself. Such sadness contained in a steel shell. Lyn found it to be poetic that the man walled himself off so from everything outside, but no amount of steel could protect him from within.
At that moment, more than anything, Lyn wanted to make it alright for him, to comfort him somehow. But she knew that all she had for him was more heartbreak, and she hated herself for having to do it.
"There is something I need to tell you," Lyn said with great hesitation, her voice trembling noticeably. Siege looked to her, his brow furrowed. No matter what he could have been thinking, there was no doubt he could ever have expected what Lyn told him then.
Chapter 13
26th day, 12th lunar cycle, 700th age of Arc
"I told Siege about Umbra, about Marcho, about me. I told him about everything. He just sat there, not saying a word. I don't know what would have been worse, him reacting or him not reacting. I wish I knew what he was thinking as we stayed there in silence. After a while, he finally spoke. He said it made more sense than the alternative. He said he could tell when his brother stopped being himself, and he had always felt like it was someone else. It seemed to give him some kind of resolution, knowing that all of this wasn't his brother's fault. Knowing that he now sets out to free his brother from the chains of Umbra's torment. I know it will still be hard, but I'm glad that Siege understands what must be done, and that we can all work together now to finish this. I write this now in the room at the inn, all of my things packed. I have a feeling we won't be staying much longer. I have a feeling this leg of my journey will be ending soon. I don't know what will come after this, but I have to remember what Zhiva said; I have to believe in myself and my purpose, and create my own destiny. I am scared, but I have Siege and Marcho, as well as the strength of everyone who believes in me. Alir and I will make it through this, and one day I'll look back on this and see it for what it is...a great adventure."
The Elder's Path Page 15
