Forgotten Legacies Collection

Chapter 13

“Zo, over here!” She heard Acha"s desperate cries before she could even see them silhouetted against the marshland. They lay a short distance from the water"s edge, the ground beneath Daniel stained with both mud and blood as he lay motionless before her.

Glancing around frantically, Zo surveyed the landscape in search of their assailant. The land was calm, still. Her feet slid on the damp grass as she dropped to her knees beside him, her hand resting on his forehead as she probed both his body and mind to make her diagnosis. His wounds were clear to any who looked upon him, she was more concerned about what poisons or inhibitors may have been introduced through the creature"s claws. She would have liked to have caught a glimpse of the attacker, although all things considered, perhaps it was better she did not.

Her heart raced as she tried to locate the means to heal him quickly. The woodland was the only answer. Trees could heal themselves over great periods of time, she just needed to accelerate the process through herself. If they would permit her to call upon them, she could use their method of recovery to aid him. She turned her attention away from the trees to focus fully on Daniel.

“What happened?” Although she had covered much ground to reach them, she showed nearly no signs of fatigue. If it hadn"t been for her slight shortness of breath, Acha would have believed she had been just steps away.

“The creature, it came from nowhere,” she sobbed uncontrollably as her panic and adrenaline heightened her already delicate state. Zo had no time to offer comfort, her only thoughts were of saving Daniel.

“His pulse is faint. Acha watch for the others. When they arrive don"t let them interrupt me.” She kept her voice steady, despite the pain which flooded through her as she touched him. It was a white-hot pain that made her want to remove her hand, but she couldn"t, not if she wished him to live. Acha nodded, turning her back on them to nervously watch the horizon.

don"tBeing healed by magic was a unique experience. You saw and felt things which the average person would not; you were opened to different paths and possibilities, and forced to see things which should remain invisible to the mortal eye. It was important that, regardless of what he may behold, Daniel remained calm. So when she spoke to him, she did so not with her voice, but with her mind, opening a method of communication that was almost exclusively available to healers. A means to offer comfort to people who may otherwise be unreachable.

"Now listen to me," Zo whispered mentally, even her inner voice was not as calm as she had intended. She was plagued by so many doubts. Even if the forces offered her their aid, there was no guarantee she could still perform the rites required. It had been such a long time since she had even attempted healing on such a grand scale. It was a complex process, one most would not undertake. If it had been anyone other than herself who sat before him now, there was no doubt they would do all they could to make him comfortable, and nothing more. But she was not willing to surrender. She would not let him die; not here, not like this. It was this attachment to him which made the process more dangerous.

Now listen to me,Hectarians, she had been taught, rarely attempted magic on those they were close to. The results of doing so were uncertain because emotions could cloud both magic and judgement, but now there was no other choice. The alternative was too unbearable. She knew she needed to concentrate, ensuring her emotions remained suppressed. A single change in her calling on nature could result in a shift or adaptation of the given power into something she could not control, into something dangerous. She had to act quickly, she could already feel Hades" messenger awaiting the outcome. It really was going to be close.

The severity of his injuries meant, if she were to heal him, she needed to keep him focused on her. If he slipped much further, she would have to battle Hermes for his life. For now, he simply observed from the distance, but even she could feel his presence growing stronger. She knew Daniel would see him too. He would be aware of all manner of things previously shrouded from his gaze. She only hoped she could stop his attention from wandering too far, in order to prevent his curiosity from directing him slowly towards his own death.

"Concentrate on my voice, focus," she commanded as she felt his mind weaken further. She touched her finger from his forehead to hers to seal the bond between their minds before she tore the remaining shirt tatters from around the wound. It had looked bad through the shirt, but that was nothing compared to the damage which lay beneath. Seeing the torn pulsating tear marks made her all the more aware of the ever approaching footsteps of death. He was already closer than she had expected.

Concentrate on my voice, focus,"How do you get into these messes?" she thought suddenly after a moment of prolonged silence, she realised she had been quiet for too long as she had focused on the first part of the enchantment. If the silence remained unbroken it could prove fatal.

How do you get into these messes?She pressed her hand firmly down on the first wound, hesitating as a strange feeling crept over her, almost like déjà vu, a feeling she had done something very similar to someone close to her before, someone she cared deeply for. She shrugged it off, this was not the time to be distracted, even by the promise of a memory. The claw marks were almost twice the size of her hand in length and stretched diagonally across almost the entirety of his chest.

"First that armoured guy, now this, you"d think I"d know better by now than to leave you on your own." She gasped as the cold force of nature flowed into her body. She felt the silver threads pierce her like small pins as the life around them connected itself to her. "I"m so sorry." She clenched her teeth, forcing these tiny threads to combine within her in order to be released from her hand in a large intertwined string of pure energy. As it touched him, she felt it once again separate into tiny vines, the flesh beneath her hand becoming coated in a fine sap-like substance generated by the threads as they weaved themselves around the sides of the wound and began to pull it closed. But despite this, Hermes crept ever closer. She had hoped by now, at the very least, his pace would have slowed. Such was normally the case when successful healing had been initiated, yet his advance remained steady, constant. What was she missing, was there something else, or did things really hang so close in the balance? The tiny threads became thicker where they penetrated her as her needs became more demanding, she felt the pain of both nature and Daniel"s wounds fill her body with agony.

First that armoured guy, now this, you"d think I"d know better by now than to leave you on your own."I"m so sorry."Once the first wound was completely coated in the sap, she moved her hand to the next, allowing the painful spike of combined life to continue its purpose as it bound the wound together. She concentrated, seeing with her mind the plants and trees as they offered her a fraction of their eternal life. Her magic mirrored the way they would heal themselves in nature, a protective sap which encapsulated the wound while it repaired.

"Just one more Daniel." She found her mind almost screamed at him as his pulse grew weaker. She found it difficult to keep his mind attentive, worse still, she could almost feel Hermes breath upon her. She knew if she turned to look, he would be as visible as Acha. It was for this reason alone she did not look, in the hope that if she failed to acknowledge him, he would halt his approach. He did not. Each passing second things were becoming more desperate.

Just one more Daniel.Daniel"s focus on her was waning. It was impossible now for her to concentrate on keeping his wandering attention and healing him physically. Normally she would have to choose one or the other, but this time there was no choice. To keep him here she needed his mind to stay focused on her, but she also needed her full concentration to heal the wounds.

It was a battle she could not afford to lose; a battle she would not lose, no matter what.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not do both simultaneously, and there was no way she could maintain this indefinitely. It was impossible, but if she couldn"t, she would lose him.

Hesitation delayed her actions, there was but one thing she could do, but by doing it she would risk losing him forever, but at least he would live. It was a technique which filled her with dread, but his life was more valuable than the cost of her actions. She had vowed to protect him and so she did the only thing she could, the only choice which was open to her. She offered a piece of herself to him, her childhood, her thoughts, her memories. She just had to pray his curiosity would not see him venture beyond what was intended, that he would not somehow find the memories which even she did not recall, or perhaps find something even worse, waiting for him in the darkness.

As she opened her mind to him, the crisp steps of Hermes halted as Daniel"s attention was torn from him. He knew now, this moment was not yet the time for this person. The claim had been lost, for now. Her memories held his attention fully where she herself had failed. She released him into her mind, into her memories, knowing this was the only way she could focus on healing, and finally, the last wound began to close.

Echoing somewhere outside her concentration, she could hear Acha shouting something, but it seemed so far away. She had to ignore it, keep her focus. Time was growing short, soon the pain of those tiny threads piercing her skin would become unbearable, and despite her will, when the pain reached her body"s limit, the magic would stop. It was a natural inbuilt defence to preserve a magic user"s life. They were never given more than they could handle.

It was ironic, everyone thought healing was a painless task. Unless they had actually done it, no one could ever imagine the distress it caused. The threads of energy burnt as their jagged composition pulsed through her. The longer she remained joined to this raw force, the more severe the ordeal, and that was only the beginning. Then she had to combine the tiny splinters of light within her body to form an intertwined force which felt as if it tore and ripped at all it touched, hurting more than the entry of all the threads combined. Healing was, by no means, a pain free magic. It was a trade. The pain she would feel was three times greater than that of the forces which aided her, and the injuries of the one who received her magic.

Whatever was happening would have to wait. She had already exhausted her reserves for this kind of magic on the second wound. As she worked on the third, she was aware of the damage she caused herself but she refused to stop. If she broke her concentration now, she could not attempt to heal him again for some time, her body would not permit it. The pain she felt now was nothing compared to the thought of losing her best friend, it was for this reason alone the magic continued to flow. It knew that, for him, she could handle just a little bit more.

After what seemed like an eternity, the last gash was sealed. Her eyes shot open as the awareness of her surroundings returned. Although she was never actually aware of having closed them it was always the case. Everything she saw was not through the eyes of her body, but through her mind"s eye, Amelia had called it healing lore.

“Zo!” Acha cried pointing to her top, looking down she saw the spreading blood stain, mirroring Daniel"s old wounds. For a brief second, as it ripped across her flesh, the injury felt very real. Whilst it faded quickly, she knew it to be a warning, one she would not receive a second time. Her skin began to relax as the threads faded, despite the process being complete, pain still coursed through her body. She coughed violently for a second as she tried to swallow. Looking to her hand she saw the taint of blood on her skin, she quickly wiped it away before anyone could see. Looking up at a nearby tree she gave her thanks, watching as it shed a single leaf in autumn shades.

She looked to Daniel, his life signs were becoming stronger. She touched her forehead, placing her other hand on his, she kept it there for a moment until she was satisfied he would be safe. Only then did her trembling hands sever the link into her memories. She lay back on the grass beside him, breathing heavily as exhaustion washed over her.

“That was amazin"!” Eiji exclaimed, moving to sit beside her. He hadn"t even considered she would possess such aptitude in healing, given Marise"s destructive nature, it did, however, explain why Zo possessed the sympathetic touch. He briefly wondered if Marise too possessed the healers" curse, or if there was a more vivid divide separating the two. As an Elementalist he had been able to see everything, Hermes, the silver threads joining her to the life around her, and the things the rest of them could see too, such as the sap coating and closing the wounds. She was unsure exactly how long they had been there. She had to wonder if perhaps the approaching steps she heard had been theirs, but she knew otherwise. The thought it had been so close had scared her beyond belief. She lay breathlessly, barely finding the energy to wipe the beads of sweat from her face.

“He"s still very weak,” she gasped, crossing her arms over herself in an attempt to still the tremors. “He"s lost a lot of blood, but he should be all right.” For a brief moment, as she turned her head to look at them, her eyes locked onto a figure on the horizon, it seemed to make a polite gesture before vanishing into nothing more than a fine wisp of mist. She glanced at Daniel to ensure he was still breathing, and hadn"t changed his mind about his recovery.

She lay embracing herself for several more minutes. When she finally caught her breath, she asked something which had been bothering her for some time.

“How did I end up here anyway? I don"t remember leaving.”

“You mean you cannot remember? I suppose you were acting somewhat irrationally,” Elly asserted. “After you left, I followed you, you were already on your way there. I was barely with you seconds when Eiji appeared.” She smiled inwardly. She was beginning to understand more of the situation she was facing, it was more ideal than she had first thought. Zo hadn"t remembered a thing.

were"Oh my head." Zo looked to Daniel sharply, unable to hide the concern as she heard his thoughts before his eyes had even opened. She looked away quickly, forcing herself to sit as she heard him recapping the most recent events in a disjointed order.

Oh my head.“We woke in Collateral?” he muttered aloud, as he slowly raised himself up slightly using his forearms for support. He glanced down at his chest finding the scars left by his injury. He opened his mouth to continue, yet for a second words escaped him. Zo placed her finger to his lips to silence him.

“Rest,” she whispered, forcing him to lie back down, placing the autumn leaf within his hand.

"I just wanted to thank you." She was certain this time it was not her imagination. She bit her lip, trying to keep the concern from her expression as the realisation of what had happened increased the burden she already bore. Now she had to protect her mind from him as well. Everything was becoming so complicated.

I just wanted to thank you."I was afraid something like this might happen." She silently scolded herself for being so careless, then again, it was a small price to pay in exchange for his life.

I was afraid something like this might happen.“Like what?” Daniel asked seemingly out of nowhere, earning himself strange looks.

“Collateral is beyond all common laws. It exists everywhere yet nowhere.” Elly finally broke the silence as she decided to share a piece of her knowledge with them. She could humour them a little, after all, it was his first question, and besides, it was the perfect opportunity to avoid the previous topic of conversation. “Given these unique traits, there is nowhere we could have been returned to which we were not already near.”

wasThey rested in silence for some time; as the sun moved across the sky, colour began to return to Daniel"s face. Elly had started to pack away their supplies, indicating it was almost time to be on their way.

“So why was I heading to Abaddon?” Zo questioned, her own thoughts now looping around. She couldn"t help her timid glances towards Daniel. He was still trying to make sense of things. She could only hope he knew better than to broach the topic in their current company. As if catching the thought, he lifted his head to meet her gaze.

“It was your intention to release the magic, and see if anything had altered since Aburamushi"s release.”

“Oh.” Her answer was short, she couldn"t remember saying any such thing, the last thing she recalled, before the feeling of fear for Daniel"s life, was telling them to go home. Everything after that was blank. A void in which she felt only her own burning anger. Maybe Elly was right, maybe she had been blinded by some form of emotion. That was the only explanation, at least she hoped it was.

“If the magic in the town were reversed, would Aburamushi vanish?” Acha joined the conversation, already knowing the answer she would receive was unlikely to be the one she hoped for.

“Doubtful,” Elly replied flatly. Seeing the disappointment in her face, she decided to give her a little hope, and Zo a little motivation, “but it would greatly weaken it and stop it from feeding on people"s life-force,” she smiled reassuringly.

Elly knew full well their intervention would not make things difficult for Aburamushi and at the same time, it would release one of the seals which had already been partly destroyed when Marise had taken the Grimoire. She knew if they released these seals it would prove to be useful in the future. With each seal they removed, a fixed location in Darrienia would be released. Among other things, their journey would restore Darrienia to its intended form.

“But wouldn"t Marise need to release the spell herself, after all it is her magic?” Acha questioned, her hope to reduce the damage soon faded as she realised the obvious. Even in her own time—when the number of people who could use magic had been limited—she had always been told the caster was the only one who could remove their magic, by death or design.

“Although that is technically true, we have someone here adept in the manipulation of magic.” Elly placed her hand on Zo"s shoulder as if to prove her point. “Such rules only apply to those of lesser abilities. Lacking the power to release an enchantment would result in the substitution of their life essence at the instance their magic failed to be powerful enough.”

“I—” Zo began uncertainly.

“Nonsense, it"s worth a try,” Eiji interrupted before she had the chance to protest. “I mean don"t y" wanna help all those innocent people Marise imprisoned, Zo?” Eiji added her name to the end for impact. Elly smiled, for Eiji, this push was a clever tactic, a subtle reminder which meant nothing, except to those who knew her recently discovered secret. A reminder which ensured she would do what was expected of her.

He began to walk away followed by Elly and Acha, he knew in his heart they would follow, after all, she, in a manner of speaking, was not Marise. He had faith she would do what her former self would not, the right thing.

Zo extended her hand to Daniel, helping him to his feet. In his hand he still clutched the leaf she had given him. Shivering against the wind, he looked at the tattered remains of his garment. Just as he had been wondering when the next opportunity would present itself to obtain another one, Zo held her arm out to present him with the shirt she had only moments ago been wearing.

Daniel took it from her gratefully, turning his back politely as she pulled a top she had just removed from her satchel over her head. As he turned back to face her, he froze, staring at her new clothing for a moment. It was a top that enhanced her feminine frame, and he had seen it once before. He remembered the low, front-laced top with its tight full-length arms. He remembered it and its owner all too clearly. That did not change the fact it was stunning, but to see her wearing it brought back a gut-wrenching memory. He pushed the thoughts back into the darkest recess of his mind, where he willed them to stay. As he pulled her shirt over his head, his nostrils flared with the comforting smell of her scent. He inhaled deeply before pulling his cloak around him.

Zo forced a smile as she looked at him. From the wall he had just constructed around his mind, it seemed he already knew the principal of shielding his thoughts. He was not perfect at it, she had felt something she could only describe as fear and sadness. As she studied him for a moment, she was relieved he seemed none too worse for wear, but she couldn"t help wondering when the unexpected side effect would fade. She heard his voice in her mind seconds before he spoke.

“Zo, there"s something—” He altered, hearing her thoughts as clearly as if they were his own, despite this he continued. He knew exactly what his recent revelation meant. There was no longer room for doubt, their paths had crossed once before, but he didn"t know quite how to tell her. “Zo, when you, well,” he started awkwardly. “You know.” He touched his forehead, taking a deep breath before continuing. He had to tell her, at least some of it, there were some things which he would never speak of, to her or anyone. He couldn"t believe he was able to stand here with her now and feel as if nothing had changed, as if nothing had to. “Well—”

“Come on you two, you"re falling behind,” Acha called waving to them, she waited while Elly and Eiji carried on ahead. Zo motioned for her to continue without them. Seeing this she nodded, quickening her pace to allow them a moment.

Acha knew they were always going to walk behind them at their own pace. It was clear Zo would want to monitor his injuries, ensure he didn"t push himself too hard, after all it was only hours since he had been healed. He had slept a dreamless sleep before waking. A time spent in silence by all. She had been glad when he woke. They started talking, and he had even managed to eat some of the food Elly had prepared. She was glad to see he still had an appetite, she just hoped he had rested long enough to continue this journey. Seeing her continue on her way, Zo responded, using their new link to make her point.

"You can read my mind, I know. I don"t know how, it just—" She stopped, feeling his anxiousness.

You can read my mind, I know. I don"t know how, it just—"No, not that." He sounded almost timid, as if he didn"t want to burden her. She looked at him curiously, her heart pounding as he looked away in a deliberate attempt to avoid her gaze.

No, not that.“Then what?” she asked aloud as the others vanished over the hill. They had made no attempt to slow their pace, just as she and Daniel made no attempt to quicken theirs. The situation alone dictated that, eventually, they would have to give up and wait for them, after all, they needed her.

“I don"t know, they think just because my injuries have faded,” he grumbled. As he glanced towards her a serious look crossed his tired features. “About that, thanks. I had no idea you could…” He shivered, pulling his cloak even tighter around himself, he didn"t feel so well, his deteriorating health clearly reflected in their slowing pace.

Zo stopped, placing her satchel on the ground to check through its contents. He waited silently, his back turned towards her as he spoke. Perhaps if he didn"t look at her it would make this easier. He took a breath, yet despite the opportunity, he couldn"t bring himself to say it, and so, he continued with his previous sentence.

“I mean it was incredible.” He wrapped his arms even tighter around himself against the penetrating cold. He thought back to the welcoming voice, it had been so quiet at first. It drew him towards it pulling him from the darkness into a small speck of light. It pulled him away from another voice, a far stronger one. Despite his best efforts to concentrate on her, it began to stifle her tiny cries. Without reason he was standing behind her, his eyes understanding things that no mortal would normally see. A giant web of energy encompassed the area around him, stemming from the trees and ground making her the focal point of the strange entanglement.

In the distance he saw a figure, the owner of the voice beckoning him. It lured him closer. Suddenly he was no longer watching himself be healed, he moved towards the figure, but still he fought. He fought to hang on to the tired words of his friend who was so desperately trying to save him. He tried to stay standing beside her, yet still, against his best efforts, he moved towards the stranger.

He was close enough to see his features, close enough to reach out and take the hand he had extended. A hand, which despite his attempts to hold back, he reached for. He could smell the underworld on this figure, their hands were barely a moment apart. He knew if their skin touched it would be the end.

A resonating c***k was heard only by his ears, disorientation and confusion were his companions as he inexplicably found himself drawn away from the figure of Hermes by one of the silver threads which pierced his friend. It forced him backwards into his injured form. But it was not content to allow him to slumber, it was not satisfied with merely having pulled him back. It continued its battle almost like taut elastic which now recoiled back to its original location as it pulled him beyond the confines of his body towards Zo, and into her mind. He heard the sound of ancient songs sung as a lullaby through the dark patches of her mind, the whisper of childhood dreams, her first spell, her studies, her home.

Then the light took him deeper into her mind, past the light and into the darkness.

“Daniel,” she repeated again. As he looked at her, she fastened his fingers around a small phial containing a green tinted liquid. “You"re going into shock, drink this.” Normally fluids were ill-advised for someone in shock, but this was entirely different to the shock from a normal injury. This was the aftermath of his body realising something which was wrong had now vanished. It was a moment of confusion that could prove deadly if not treated with this special concoction, but if it were administered before he was ready, it would have been detrimental.

He drank the bitter tasting liquid quickly, pulling a repulsed face as he swallowed the last mouthful, wondering if the taste was her revenge for his intrusion on her private thoughts. Medicine, more often than not, was bitter, yet for some reason, whenever she had prepared it, the harsh tastes were expertly disguised, but not this time.

Zo pushed a root, which he now held in his hand, towards his mouth. Unaware he was doing so, he obeyed her and began to chew on it, as Zo carefully replaced the contents of her satchel.

“I"m sorry for the taste I have no Sweet Cicely, that"s what I use to sweeten the flavour.” She smiled slightly, but like most of her smiles recently it didn"t quite reach her eyes. “Of course, it"s not my way of punishing you.” He blushed realising his thoughts were as clear to her, as hers were to him. “Besides, it"s so bad it"s made you forget about your symptoms,” she teased; it was only as she said this that Daniel realised he had stopped shaking.

“So how long does this link last then?” he asked in a very Eiji like manner as he directed attention away from his embarrassment. He moved to stand near her as she made another batch of the bitter liquid, once finished she almost completely emptied her water skin over the grass before tipping the concoction into it.

“I don"t know, it has never happened before.” She shook the leather skin gently managing to avoid looking at him as she did so.

“What about with Acha? I mean, you knew she was in danger.”

“That was different, because I forced her to wake, a trace of the magic remained on the tip of her consciousness. I was only aware of any powerful emotions. It was nothing like this.” She placed the satchel back over her shoulder as they started moving again.

“Oh.” He smiled slightly.

“I think it"s best if no one learns of this.” She held eye contact with him as if to enforce her words.

“Is this the reason you"ve never used your magic on me?” He thought back over all the times he had injured himself. She had always seemed to want to do something for him, but he was never sure what. Until now he had never realised her powers of healing passed beyond the skills of botany and assessment, although he"d had his suspicions.

“Kind of, it"s dangerous to be emotionally attached to the people they are used on, it has side effects. That"s why healers tend to keep to themselves, if they get too invested, they let their emotions rule their magic and things like this happen.” Zo stared out over the horizon, her mind weighed down with worry. All of a sudden, Daniel felt her spirit lift. “Not to worry hey?” she smiled. “It"s not like I can"t tell what you"re thinking anyway. It"s easy enough to block. I mean I don"t really want to know what I"m getting for my birthday, so I"ll tell you how.” Daniel suddenly got the impression she wasn"t quite as cheerful as she tried to imply but, as yet, he lacked the skill to read her innermost emotions. Then again, she had become quite proficient at shielding them recently, even with this new link, he wasn"t reading anything more than he would normally.

“Hey, who says you"re getting anything?” He shoved her playfully as they approached the others, who had finally decided to wait. They knew Daniel had not fully recovered, but the longer they spent reaching Abaddon, the less time they would have before they needed to move on, and Elly for one wanted to be as far away as possible. Especially once the magic had been removed and the sun started to set.

“Daniel, are you all right to continue?” she questioned, as they approached. He took a mouthful of water from the leather skin Eiji offered him. Anything was better than the horrible tasting fluid he was being forced to drink.

“Thanks,” he smiled, relieved at the freshness of the cool water. He returned it to him as he looked towards Elly, only to discover she hadn"t waited for his response and had already pressed onward. “Come on,” Daniel sighed. “We"re falling behind, again.” He placed his hand on his chest his breathing becoming slightly laboured as his chest began to sting.

“Are y" sure y" okay?” Eiji questioned concern flickered through his eyes.

“Just stings a little.” Zo forced him to drink more of his medicine as she lifted it to his mouth. When he obeyed, she released her grip, turning to look at Eiji and Acha.

“You go on ahead,” she encouraged as the two of them as they hung back, both had an air of concern about them. “We"ll catch up, we just need to take it slow and steady.”

“We don"t mind, really.” Acha smiled.

“It"s okay, really, go,” she seemed quite insistent, so they surrendered to her wishes. Daniel looked at her questioningly waiting for the others to leave before he asked.

“The perfect time for what?” In answer to his question, Zo simply smiled, placing her hand inside her satchel. Having had time to assess the unexpected side effect she knew now exactly how to feed him thoughts, whilst shielding everything else. Now she knew how deep their connection went, she no longer needed to worry about him discovering something accidentally, not as long as she remained calm.

“I should have given it to you before.” She moved her hand through the contents of her satchel, her face filled with concentration as she searched for something. “I wanted to save it for your birthday, but I think you may need it now.” She looked up and smiled as she found it, she could feel his intrigue and anticipation which was fuelled by her own. “But before you can have it, you have to drink at least half of that,” she pointed to the leather skin in his hand, he let out a groan before drinking more of the medicine until she was satisfied.

“Happy?” he asked almost bitterly, although he had to admit, the pain had almost gone now. He began to chew on the root, which eased it even more.

She delayed for a moment longer before pulling six poles, bound together by a piece of twine, from her bag. Staring at it, he wondered how something so large could have fit so effortlessly into such a small satchel. Given its size he wondered if it had even been in there at all. Each section was exactly one foot in length, and contained unique symbols and carvings etched into the wood. As she undid the twine, he saw a faint ray of light pass from the end of each stick into the next.

“What is it?” As he took the mahogany coloured wood from her, he expected it to be heavy, yet he found himself surprised by its lack of weight as he passed it between his hands.

“It"s a weapon, here.” She took it from him, passing him a small notebook to study. As he flicked through it, he saw it was filled with text and sketches for various techniques and uses for the weapon in the various forms, all of which had been written in Zo"s hand. “Let me show you.” She flicked it together into its most natural form, a solid staff.

She spun it rapidly. The wooden composition a blur at the speed of her movements as she passed it from one hand to another in ways which told of a deep-rooted skill. The sections, by her will, released to be manipulated with ease, as they obeyed her every whim to attach or separate despite her never slowing pace as she retained perfect control of the various combinations. “I made it myself. When I was younger, I saw one just like it in a dream,” she advised, returning it to Daniel. “I think you will find it"s perfect for you. It"s joined together by a very old magic. The links between them will grow and shrink as you wish, creating a weapon for any situation. It has an excellent defence against magic, maybe later I can show you.”

Zo smiled as she watched him flick the stick into a few of its most basic forms, much to his surprise. He had never been able to control a weapon, despite his father trying to teach him on many occasions. But this weapon was different, even now, he skilfully executed moves he had only just read. It was clear this weapon worked on theory, not on skill.

“It"s incredible! It"s like it knows exactly what I want it to do, then does it.” He grinned, panting. Even from such a short burst of activity he was clearly tired, but this time, even the unpleasant medicine she forced him to drink didn"t dampen his spirits. Splitting it into sections he looped it over his belt, he seemed almost surprised that it held its position.

“It does, it"s magical. I made it just for you.” He glanced down at it again, clearly wanting to play with it some more, but now was not the time. They began to walk again as they spoke.

“What are these symbols? I don"t recognise any of them.” He fingered them as he stopped again, he noticed his name was carved on one of the sections, this was the only part of a long-forgotten language Zo had managed to teach him to read. “It must have taken you ages, the carvings alone are so detailed.”

“Three months, while you were at college,” she answered with minimal delay. She had plenty of time to do things like this without Daniel"s knowledge. The college he attended was in the Eastern province of Albeth, it was both a boat and horse ride away. His subjects of study ran three days, from the day of Hermes to the day of Helios, which meant he would generally leave the night before, stay at the student housing, and return after his final lesson. She had more than enough time between helping Angela with her patients, and tending the garden, to do things without his knowledge. She was, however, surprised she had managed to keep it a secret for so long. “I intended to leave it for you to discover after I left. Just don"t tell anyone where you got it, okay?”

This statement was easier than explaining to him exactly how she had managed to get it here. She had used a very old magic, like that used to bind it, one she had encountered only through her dreams. In her dream she had been witness to a story, but also privy to some lessons, almost as if the dream was a message passed through time, to ensure she could create it. It could be stored between boundaries and retrieved by its master from anywhere. Now it bore Daniel"s name she would have to remember to try to teach him the technique, to see if even someone with no talent in magic could summon it.

“Especially Elaineor, right?” Daniel said as he caught a slight glimpse of a buried thought.

“Yes, you see, this weapon…” She took a deep breath as she realised what she was about to say. She was going to tell him, she had to. She steadied her breath and calmed her racing heart before she continued. “May be the only thing that will protect you from…” She paused lowering her head in shame. The darkened mood which descended upon her had been impossible to hide. She had to tell him, but the final word just wouldn"t come.

“You?” Daniel queried softly, taking her hand in his. She looked away from him, blinking away the tears quickly before he could see.

“How did you…” she whispered, her voice failing as her vision fixed anywhere but on him. He knew her secret, he knew and yet he had chosen to stay. Part of her had hoped he would hate her and leave, at least then she knew he would be safe, but she hadn"t realised just how much his choice to stay would mean to her. She fought back against the tears.

“I saw all the clues, but I wasn"t certain until—”

“I healed you,” she whispered closing her eyes, remembering how she had opened her mind to him. She had known there was a danger of him venturing beyond what she offered, beyond the memories of her childhood, but it was either that or lose him forever. “I didn"t know I swear,” her tone became defensive, “I have only just found out myself. That"s why I sent you away. I didn"t want to put you in any danger. I swear I will protect you, I promise.” This was the second time she had made this promise to him, but repeating it now held with it a promise of strength.

“Don"t worry.” He smiled reassuringly as they approached their waiting friends. His smile alone comforted her more than he would know. The reaction she had expected when he learnt the truth had been far different from the one she had received. As she glanced to him, she felt it again, the same feeling clouding his mind as when he had looked at her earlier. He was keeping something from her.

“Are you ready?” Elly walked up to meet them as they approached. Eiji and Acha sat on the outskirts of Abaddon. In this world it was found hidden deep within the forest, despite the dense trees, they had located them with ease.

“What exactly am I meant to be doing?” Uncertainty gripped her as she stood before the town. She glanced to Daniel, there was so much to discuss, but now the situation dictated their conversation needed to end prematurely.

“Just release the spell. It is fairly simple. While I am in these parts I have an errand to run, so if you will excuse me, I should not be gone too long,” Elly advised.

“You mean, you"re not coming in with me? But this was your idea,” Zo asked, questioning the sudden change in Elly. Less than an hour ago she was determined to be here, yet now it seemed she didn"t intend to stay.

“We do not have time to waste. It is quicker for me to do this now, rather than take you all with me later. Do not worry, you will be fine.” Without any more room for argument, Elly walked away.

Hesitantly, Zo entered the town, followed by her friends who matched her slow pace. Acha approached one of the houses where the curtains had been left slightly askew. Straining her vision through this gap she could see the strands of light filtering through the artificial night within to illuminate a figure lying peacefully upon the bed. The fire had long been extinguished, and the windows shut, as if to protect the inhabitants from the elements.

“I guess I work my way from end to start then,” she spoke to herself, feeling the complicated webs which were weaved into the spell. Each thread of magic looped and crossed with the others. She had to be careful not to damage the composition if she wished everyone to get out of this alive. “Can you stand over there?” She pointed to the edge of town, to a place void of any threads. “You need to stay there, okay?” Nodding, they made their way to the place she had indicated. Removing them from the magic"s webbing not only gave her the room she would need to work, it also meant that, no matter what happened, they would not be linked in any way to the spell, should anything go wrong.

As she began, even they could see the faint sea-green aura which began to shine around her to illuminate the air, a colour which slowly changed to become an electric blue. This was the colour of her magic, whereas green was the colour of Marise"s. Even as she thought this, she had no idea how she knew it to be true. She understood that the magic she felt at this location both here and in Darrienia was Marise"s. But at the temple it had been hers, mingled with that of another person. It made her wonder who this second person could have been.

She felt the pull of the earth as she seized the first thread of the green magic, within her mind she crossed and curved it under and around those which came before it, forcing her blue magic into it to dissolve the thread. As she dispelled the threads, ancient poetry gently fell from her lips. Her body seemed to follow the threads she unwound. It was an amazing sight to behold. It was almost as if the ancient words had become a gentle song she, and the world around her, danced to. The flowers in the nearby gardens aged and died, before life came from new seeds once again. But as with any exertion it soon began to take its toll, and her pace began to slow as she grew tired.

She followed the threads as best she could, but with each twist, more energy left her. She pulled against the weave as it became harder to unravel. Even though the threads vanished as she unravelled the design of the enchantment, it began to feel as if they bound her, restricting her movements as she became entangled in the thread"s web.

The force became so great, her pace stopped completely, the weight of her body covered in the tangled thread reduced her to her knees. She concentrated harder. She had found it far easier to follow the threads with her body than unravelling them with just her mind. She felt the energy of her own basic magic begin to fade, the colour alternating from blue to the faint silver shimmer of her life"s thread. She knew then she had started something she could not finish.

Despite this seamless shift in the source of energy supplied, her resolve did not waver. To leave the damaged threads would be more dangerous than had she not begun at all. She could only hope she had enough life to offer as a substitute energy for that her own abilities lacked.

Daniel, watching her fall, moved to intervene, his sudden steps prevented as Eiji moved to stop him quickly.

“Y" can"t interfere. What she"s doing"s delicate, if a non-magic user were t"interfere it could damage the threads she unwinds. It may kill her.”

“What do you mean may? Barely a few hours ago she exhausted herself to bring me back from the brink of death, and now she needs to unwind a spell that"s equal to her full power when she isn"t in possession of it.” He couldn"t say any more without revealing her secret to Acha, but he was certain this was the secret Eiji had protected so honourably. Now he understood why, it wasn"t something she should hear from anyone else. “If we don"t do something it will kill her slowly, substituting her life-force for the magic she lacks when she has no power left.”

There was a fatal difference between casting and reversing a spell, one created by the difference between taking and giving magical energy. When a magic user cast something, the energy they called upon was from an external source and would be disconnected as soon as it became dangerous to the caster"s health. However, for the reversing of a spell, the energy came directly from them, the flow was completely different. Instead of the caster taking energy to give it, the magic being unravelled took it from the caster, once started there was no way to sever the linking of energy. The dissipation of magic would continue to pull the energy from the source, until there was nothing left to offer.

Eiji agreed with Daniel. It wasn"t one of the greatest ideas to face her with such a challenge before she was given the chance to fully recover. But if what Elly had said earlier was correct, once Aburamushi was released within Darrienia there was only a limited time in which to release this spell before the people here would be trapped forever.

Each one restrained within his enchantment would only serve to multiply his power. If they released the spell, however, they would sever the final ties of his imprisonment. In this case, the risk outweighed the damage Aburamushi could do if left bonded to this town. By freeing the town, his power would weaken and he would pose far less of a threat than if things were to remain as they were. Eiji felt awful for the role he played in convincing Zo to accept this task, but the needs of the many were chosen over the needs of the few, the few in this case, however, was her. It was harder to make the obvious choice when it was a friend who would suffer the consequences. Now he just had to put his trust in Elly.

“Daniel.” Eiji"s lowered voice was filled with apprehension as Zo became more fatigued. By his calculations, the spell was halfway unravelled. There was no way she alone would possess the power to release it. Even now he feared for her, although Elly had assured him everything would be fine, and given the circumstances he trusted her word, it seemed it would be close. Eiji knew he was unable to help, not only because by his very nature he was clumsy and would no doubt damage the threads, but his magic was incompatible being from a completely different source than hers. To combine the two to undo this magic would probably not only fail to remove the curse but kill both them and those trapped by it in the process. Elly had warned him not to interfere, regardless of what happened.

As things seemed more desperate, Eiji sought for a method to aid her. Perhaps if he could calculate it exactly, he could sever the weave ahead of her complex workings in order to terminate her attachment. It would leave the enchantment only half broken, but she could take the time to rest before continuing. He just couldn"t decide whether to intervene or heed Elly"s warning.

A strange distortion filled the air, paralysing them under the sheer pressure which seemed to originate from somewhere before them. Through the shimmering shroud stepped a figure, his steps light as he traversed the complex weave of magic with ease to reach down to offer Zo his hand. There was something distinguished about his mannerisms, like a prince asking a lady for the honour of a dance. She reached up wearily accepting his hand, his touch bringing a weightlessness to her body. With just that light touch he moved forward to embrace her gently, and their dance began.

Lifting her head, Zo"s tired gaze met with his intense blue eyes as she took in the stranger"s appearance through her blurred vision. His long black hair was fastened neatly into a long ponytail. Somehow, he seemed familiar and his magic seemed to have shared the same colour as hers.

The figure shared the same glow which connected them to the earth. Although tired, she remained standing with his aid, he seemed to sway gently as if rocking her. She found the motion soothing, she rested her head on his chest, the sound of his heart echoed comfortingly as they followed the final thread. They stood in silence until the final ray of the magic"s light had faded. She pulled away from his comfort to speak, but before the words could leave her, she felt her remaining strength vanish, as if his touch had been the source of her residual energy. As she fell forwards, she was once more caught in his embrace.

He held her close for just a moment before picking her up in his arms. Her friends hovered uncertainly as they questioned if it was now safe to approach. Before they had decided it was, he had walked past them, into the forest from the place they had first entered. When they were clear of the trees, he lowered her to the ground before touching her pale skin gently.

“You should know by now,” he whispered in a tone so quiet none of them could hear his words. “I could never let anything harm you.” He looked to her friends raising his voice so they could hear. “It was careless of you to have her take on such a task given the circumstances. You must be more careful.” He brushed a stray piece of hair from her face with a tenderness and concern which made Daniel uneasy.

must“Will she be all right?” Daniel stepped forwards; he was the first to address him, taking his attention away from his friend, and putting an end to that gentle caress.

“I believe so.” He looked back to her, as he did so he waved one hand over the other, within it appeared five amulets. “I believe these will aid you on your travels.” He passed them to Daniel before lifting Zo slightly. When a small phial appeared in his hand, he placed it to her lips, ensuring she swallowed its contents. “This will help speed up the recovery,” he answered the question although no one yet had asked. They hadn"t needed to. Daniel had looked ready to interrupt, he couldn"t say he blamed him, how was he to know he meant her no harm?

“Why are you helping us?” Acha stepped forwards; the figure cast his gaze over her critically before answering her question.

“Darrienia is a place filled with unimaginable danger. To fail would be to condemn the world, yet, there is something even more valuable at stake.” He glanced down at Zo as she stirred, the concoction he had given was already working to restore her strength. Although she slept a dreamless sleep, she was aware of all which transpired, and a part of her feared that rejuvenation was not the potion"s only intention. There was a momentary silence while people exchanged questioning glances, before Zo"s eyes opened.

As she lay in silence, she studied the stranger intently, convinced she recognised him. His raven black hair captured the spectrum as the light danced across it. He turned to look at her and smiled. The smile reached all the way to his eyes in a way that seemed so comforting she truly believed she could trust him.

“There is one thing which does concern me. Am I correct in understanding you have help from a force of their world? I was led to understand the entirety of the Oneiroi race are captives. Is it not your quest to free them?” The stranger looked between them, wondering if any would be so kind as to answer.

“Seiken?” Eiji questioned without delay, for a second he cringed, remembering how often Elly had scolded him for opening his mouth without due thought. Surely his words here could do no harm, after all, this person had just saved Zo"s life, and aided in the release of a powerful enchantment. It made him wonder if this was an intervention Elly had anticipated. If so, perhaps he should have shown more caution.

“Ah, I see, an Oneiroi has come to your aid, interesting.” He slowly began to walk away satisfied his work was somehow completed.

“Wait.” Zo called after him. As if on her command he stopped, turning to face her. Her voice, although barely a whisper, had not gone unheard. She began to cough. Once more she saw the tiny splatters of blood on her hand, she was thankful they still went unnoticed. She had to be more careful, she was causing herself some serious damage. “Who are you?” she questioned having finally caught her breath.

“Who am I?” He smiled sadly almost as if he had expected her to know. “My name is not important. Perhaps we shall have time for introductions when next we meet, but I am afraid my time is limited. I must be on my way.” The same paralysing pressure, which had marked his appearance, weighted the surroundings. The transparency of the air before him became opaque, almost liquid as it distorted to grant him access.

Daniel stared at the place the figure had disappeared to, his hand tightly clutching the five amulets as he questioned how he knew there was another person within their group. But this was not the query on the forefront of his mind. There was an unsettling aura, a discomfort which surrounded him as he questioned how this figure could possibly have aided in the release of a Hectarian spell when Zo was the last of wielder of these artes. He had seemed wounded when she asked his identity, so how exactly had the two come to cross paths prior to his appearance here? There was clearly more to this meeting than a stranger"s concern. It was as if he had known she was in danger, and the way he touched her had sung of a deep bond. It made him question exactly who this figure was.