by Ren Ryder
Bell mirrored my salute. “You should have just said so! Lead on, oh wise one~”
Maive growled and started muttering under her breath, and I made an exasperated face at Bell.
Do you have to pile on and antagonize her at every juncture?
Thorn bushes abounded, and after weaving across several prickly vines, I was happy to be dragged along rather than have to navigate another path of thorns.
We made quick work of the dusty open region, with Maive pulling me along like a dog on a leash. I tried to pick my footing so I followed along in the huntress’s footsteps, but a few times I couldn’t match her and threw the both of us off. This caused the huntress to almost explode with frustration, but she tamed her emotions and we kept on.
I just knew she was motivating herself with being done and never having to see us again.
“By the way… I meant to thank you. For, you know, not being all gung-ho about drowning me in the Well of Spirit like your sisters were.”
This caused an upheaval. Maive stopped in her tracks. I bounced off her back and raised a hand to protect myself from the expected return strike.
“I did nothing to stop them,” Maive said, deceivingly calm.
I shrugged. “Social pressures, I get it. You were more of a bystander than an active participant, and I couldn’t have imagined you doing the same had you been in charge.”
Maive tugged hard on her braid and turned to face me. “Your survival was more than irregular. You should have died. There was no doubt in my mind you would.”
My lack of condemnation for her actions seemed to throw her off.
I twirled my staff to focus on something other than her face. “I can’t count how many times I should’ve died in the past. I didn’t, and I don’t hold it against you. I’m more comfortable receiving active malice from people, so believe it or not you’re a breath of fresh air.”
Maive cleared her throat and looked down and away from me. She seemed to struggle with something internally, then she threw back her shoulders to reset herself. “We should keep moving.”
I smiled. “Of course. After you.”
As the incline inched ever steeper, we came upon a stone obelisk of no renown. It was small and stark, no higher than my waist and weathered by age and the elements. Upon closer inspection I could see some runes inscribed into the stone, but they were dull and lifeless.
Maive let go of my forearm, and I shook it out as uncomfortable static filled my hand from blood rushing back into the extremity.
“We’re stopping? Here?” I asked.
“This is one of many pathways. Place your hand on the obelisk and charge it with your mana.” The huntress stepped back to give me space.
I did as instructed and placed my tingling right hand atop the stone pillar. With a small twitch I channeled mana out my hand into the obelisk. A soft glow rose up around the squat obelisk as it reacted to the influx of mana.
Alarm bells started ringing in my head. “Wait, what about the moonflowers?”
Maive smirked. “Find what you will along the way, it has nothing to do with me. We part ways here.”
“I knew it! Traitor! You better come help us find those moonflowers, or we’ll be back to kick your butt!” Bell said.
Maive waved. “Luck to you, Kal, and take care where you place your trust. Fare thee well, and may our paths never cross again.”
A column of light burst forth from the obelisk, shining like a beacon in the dark. I shaded my eyes with my arm as I felt a sudden sensation of being pulled into the stone column.
Chapter Fourteen
We were high above a soft sea of billowing clouds.
My breath produced a thick fog. “What…” I trailed off.
The air was cold and thin, making each breath feel like icy daggers were stabbing my lungs. It was cold. So cold. Never had I been more aware of my near-nakedness than on a mountaintop with nothing to wear besides a worn-out pair of hammy-down trousers. I shivered uncontrollably, rubbing heat into my arms while hugging my body.
Then I looked up.
“… in the world.”
Both of the Otherworld’s solar bodies were suspended in the sky above me. At first I feared the sun and moon had collided with one another, but I took a breath to realize it was a sustained solar eclipse.
Overlaid before the sun was the Otherworld’s full moon, blocking out much of the light that otherwise would be bathing the mountain range.
Bell cried out. “There’s no way! What do we do now?!”
“Bell,” I said, not looking away from the otherworldly sky.
“I’m going back to give that huntress a piece of my mind!” She sounded further away.
“Wait, Bell,” I called after her.
“That sneaky little bish!” She was stuck in a rut and refusing to see what was right in front of her.
“Bell! Look!”
“What? Oh. Are those…” Bell trailed off.
There they were, nestled here and there between the craggy rocks of the range’s summit: moonflowers. The brilliant white climbing plants buried their roots in the rock and stone for purchase to bask in the light. They sparkled in the light of the eclipse, seeming to soak up the light to cast it back out in glittering fractals.
Maive had disavowed herself of our actions going forward, but she had guided us without fail to our goal.
A deep relief flowed through me, then a warm belly-laugh escaped me. “We did it!”
“… I still don’t like her,” Bell muttered.
The summit’s ridgeline was thin and narrow, with rocky protrusions and a layer of snow. I tested my footing before committing to each step, but moved with sure movements to the nearest moonflower, some ten paces away. I crouched between two boulders where the climbing plant was wedged.
From that short jaunt, I was winded.
I focused on my breathing. “The air’s really thin up here.”
“You think so?” Bell asked, seeming unaffected.
I shook my head, feeling a little lightheaded. “I need a bit to get used to it maybe.”
Stem and all, I plucked the moonflower from its vine and inspected it close-up.
“Its beautiful,” I said.
“Pretty,” Bell agreed.
“So, a king’s ransom huh? Those merfolk sure aren’t shy about up-charging for their services.”
Warm energy flowed into me from the flower. Its petals glittered like multifaceted gems, and I could see thin blue veins pulsing inside them. The stem was pure white, coarse with some girth to it.
“Wait, so, how many flowers makes a bouquet?” I asked, a sudden uncertainty plaguing me. “How are we supposed to know how many to bring them?”
“Beats me, don’t you know?”
“What? I thought you knew!” I accused.
“Don’t get so caught up in the details.”
“Great. Just great. So what am I supposed to do now? You know my life is riding on this, right?”
I waved at my body, which had started to accumulate fleshy black scar tissue. My chest was covered in a spiderweb of black veins right over my heart. I hadn’t felt ill effects yet, but I knew any moment the merrow’s so-called gift could morph into a curse.
“When did you start caring about your life anyways?” Bell asked. "I’m sure it’ll be fine, just grab a handful.”
An idea that had been forming since Maive had spoken about the moonflower’s properties moved to the forefront of my mind. “What about, why don’t I just eat one? The way Maive described these, I don’t see why I need to follow through on our deal with the merrow when one of these might do the trick.”
Bell blinked, like it would never had occurred to her. “I— I don’t know, Kal. Breaking deals isn’t a good idea.”
“No?” I spun the flower by its stem, admiring it.
Bell was serious. “That kind of thinking is a big mistake, Kal.”
I started to feel a bit flustered. “What if I just take one for myself? Can’
t be any harm in that, right?”
“No, like, you don’t get it— faeries don’t break deals. We just don’t. We’re spirit beings, making contracts is in our nature. Each broken deal is a knife to the soul. Break one too many deals and it can cause irreparable harm to both you, and your source. At the very least you’ll lose your ability to do magic, if you don’t die outright. Since I’m the one who made the deal on your behalf…” Bell trailed off meaningfully.
I took her logic to its natural conclusion. “… we’re both on the hook. Man, that is so not what I wanted to hear.”
Bell was on a roll. “Why do you think faeries dance around the truth so much? A promise is no small thing, and neither is a lie. We shroud ourselves in mystery for our own protection.”
My stubborn streak showed. “I still don’t see why that means I can’t take this one for myself. It’s not like we promised not to, right?”
Bell seemed to consider it, then shrugged. “I guess you can, but I don’t think it’s going to do anything for you. I doubt eating one will fix whatever the merrow did to you.”
The cold was getting to me. My hands and feet were numb, and my upper body was turning bright pink. It took an effort of will to keep my teeth from chattering when I talked.
I made an exasperated sound. “I guess you’re right. Let’s pick a bouquet of these suckers and skedaddle. I’m freezing my nipples off here.”
Bell snickered. “You’re the one who decided to walk around the Otherworld like a go-go dancer.”
I furrowed my brow. “You make it seem like I chose to be like this.”
Bell cocked her head. “Didn’t you?”
I didn’t have a response for that, so I said nothing.
“Here, pack them in this,” Bell handed me a tiny satchel.
“Where did you get this?” I asked. “What is it?” I took the little bag in one hand and looked at her sideways.
“What do you mean? The merrow gave it to me, it’s for collecting the moonflowers.”
I started fiddling with the bag, using two fingers to carefully open its drawstring and peer inside. It looked like an ordinary satchel, but in miniature.
“How am I supposed to fit a bouquet of flowers in a tiny ass thing like this?”
“Magic?” Bell asked, spinning a finger around her ear. “Are you dumb?”
“No. I’m not dumb, thank you very much.”
“I don’t suppose you expected the delicate things would survive the trip in your clumsy hands? Or did you have a better way to transport them?” Bell looked me up and down, judgment in her eyes.
“No, well… no,” I said.
Bell shooed me off. “As I thought. Get to it then, Mr. Nipples— chop chop.”
I shot her a dirty look. “I’m going, but not because you told me to.”
Bell saluted me. “Whatever floats your boat, sailor.”
Ticked off but not wanting to show it, I stuffed the first moonflower into the tiny holding bag and watched in awe as the stem, then the whole flower was devoured by the little satchel. I stared into the dark depths of the bag but saw only darkness where I expected to see petals, something.
“This thing is handy. Think they’ll let us keep it?” I asked.
“I could ask,” Bell shrugged.
“Hmm.”
After I started trying to pick them, it seemed like there weren’t as many moonflowers as I first thought. I struggled to find a second one, but after scrambling up the boulders where I found the first, I spotted another flower hiding amidst the snowy backdrop. I climbed down the boulders and made my way over to the spot with a bit less care than I did the first.
Snow crunched beneath my boots.
I stumbled and fell into a snowdrift. Covered in white powder and feeling like I’d dipped my body in an ice-bath, I shuddered.
Bell had a good laugh at my expense. “Watch where you’re going, dummy.”
“Thanks, I hadn’t thought of that.”
I dusted myself off and stomped through the snow to pluck then stow away the second moonflower.
Bell grew bored with the process and started to amuse herself by making snow angels.
“Kal, look! Isn’t it cute? Hehe~”
Snow angels, really?
I found another moonflower close by, and got lucky when I found two flowers growing on the same vine. How many made a bouquet again? I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t want to come up short for lack of trying.
After a series of jaunts back and forth across the narrow summit, I managed to find seven moonflowers in total. I was sure I could find more, but it felt like enough and I didn’t want to totally decimate the summit after being guided there in good faith.
I was going to call out to Bell, who was clear across the narrow summit, when I trotted past a moonflower that stuck in the corner of my eye. I paused mid-stride, guilt welling up inside me as I stared.
With a furtive glance, I made sure Bell wasn’t looking anywhere near me.
She wasn’t. Bell was busy making snow angels wherever she could find fresh powder, which was everywhere.
My heart fluttered with nerves, but I plucked the flower and stuffed it into my pants pocket beside the flint. I didn’t know what magics the satchel had to protect it from my prying hands after I placed the moonflowers in its care. Having one on me was my insurance, and, I hoped, not a decision I was going to regret.
I crashed through the snowdrifts, making extra noise to reveal my presence. “Well, that should about do it.” I held out the satchel to Bell.
“Lemme see that,” Bell flew over and grabbed the bag from me, weighed it in her hands then asked, “how many did you get?”
I shifted on my feet and cleared my throat. “Seven. Think it’ll be enough?”
Bell showed her fangs. “It better be. You’re turning blue.”
“Huh. Really? I feel warm.” I held my arms out and gave myself a once-over. “Oh. That’s not good.”
The tips of my fingers were turning black, and I didn’t have much feeling in my hands at all.
I think I’m on the verge of hypothermia.
Bell winced. “That’s frostbite. And here I thought you’d lost your human frailty.”
I made a face. “I’m not a complete monster.”
Not yet.
I cycled mana through my body to fight the chill and renew my tattered mana skin. Steam rose from my body and I felt an instant’s relief. Then I was flooded with tingling pain as sensation returned to my extremities all at once. Every nerve across my body was firing with pain.
I screamed and hopped around like I was on fire.
“Don’t be such a baby.” Bell poked me in the chest.
I released a hoarse yell and balled up in response.
Once the pain receded I felt a measured difference in how the cold affected me. With power flowing through my body and a layer of mana protecting me, the cold couldn't penetrate my skin. I was insulated from the freezing chill.
“Well, that’s a lesson learned. Wish I’d done that sooner.” I stared at Bell, expectant.
“What? Don’t look at me— I’m magic. I skip all the trial and error, my genius comes natural~” Bell blew me a kiss.
“Whatever. Let’s get off this rock. You at least know which way Dayside and the Wildwood is, right?” I asked.
“Pfft! Of course, what do you take me for, some country bumpkin?”
“Well, you weren’t so useful in helping navigate the Nightside…” I trailed off.
“That’s so not my fault! How would you feel about me expecting you to know every inch of the human realm just because you lived there?” Bell asked.
“That’s… fair.”
Bell nodded, a smug look on her face. “That’s right. Bow down and apologize for your affront!”
“Now you’ve gone too far. Can we please stay on task here? Against my better judgment I’m putting you in charge, so lead the way.”
“Oooh! Follow the leader!” Bell flew circles around me in
her excitement.
Bell flew clear off the rocky summit and hovered midair thousands of meters above the billowing clouds. “Jump!”
I shuffled over to the edge and leaned over the drop, giving myself vertigo. “That’s a… long way down. You know I can’t fly, right?”
“Details details.”
“No, I actually think that’s an important bit of information to keep in mind here.”
“Are you going to do what I say or not? You said you would!”
“I did say that,” I grumbled, “but jumping off a cliff on your say-so seems a tad extreme, even to me.”
I worked myself up to it, dragging my feet through the snow-covered rock until the toes of my boots hung off the edge. I wavered there, feeling off-balance. My stomach curled up into a ball.
“What, you afraid of a wittle fall?” Bell held her fingers a smidge apart, smirking.
I swallowed. “I’m not afraid of heights, but this is on another level.”
“You think so?” Bell asked. “You know, in times like these, I’m reminded of seeing mother birds help their chicks make their first flight from the nest.”
“Oh y-yeah?” My voice broke, and I cleared my throat. “What if they’re not ready?”
“Don’t sweat the details. Anyways, sometimes they just need a little push!” Bell moved her hands in a sweeping gesture.
A huge gust of wind tore across the summit, clearing it of snow and battering me in my already precarious position. Two mini-tornados encapsulated me on either side, then started to move inwards to cut me off. Ice, snow, and rock pelted me.
“Wait, hold on!” I yelled.
“Jump, or I’ll make you!” Bell yelled back.
Back against the wall, I braced myself and strong-armed my source, channeling pure mana with furious speed. I cycled most of the influx of energy through the sigil on my chest, staining myself silver. I felt like a cup filled over-full with water.
“Jump jump jump jump jump jump!” Bell chanted.
Fighting against every instinct that told me not to, I jumped.
Chapter Fifteen
Wind whistled past, tearing at me with grasping hands. Out of control I tumbled end over end over end over end, throwing my stomach for a loop. By way of trial and error I righted myself, spreading out my arms and legs and arching my back to take back control of my free-fall with nothing other than physical means.
