Not All Heroes Are Guiltless

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Aela’s POV

After nearly two weeks of climbing mountains and traveling through white forests, we reach the gate, which is cut out of one of the mountains. The archway looks as if it was built out of glass. I place my hand on the cold surface, and although it's nearly translucent it’s as strong as marble and just as bitterly cold.

“Where’s your amulet?” My mate whispered to me, and I jumped at his words. I pulled at my neck to show him it was still on me. He nods in approval. “If I join you inside, then the gift could be wasted. The spirits you have seen are those of the damned who have not left our realm. Through this archway is a gate that allows other spirits to reach out to our realm. This one was incredibly powerful, and many of the gods were able to use it to travel. It’s been closed off for use, but a few are strong enough to activate it. You can still communicate with the spirits, though.”

“This is Galanta? What happened to it?” I ask, looking down a long hallway after the archway. I turned back and glimpsed my mate, but he just looked away, avoiding my eyes and not answering me. I feel his guilt and shame in full waves, and now I’m even regretting asking. No wonder he doesn’t want to go with me. With a deep sigh, I pull my cloak closer to me and feel a warmth added to it as a walk through the archway. At the very least, he has given me a tool to make me feel he’s not far from me.

The hallway leads directly into the mountain. The transparent marble walls and pillars would more than likely be a good source of moving natural light into the area if the clouds weren’t dark and stormy outside. I’m still able to see through the added benefit of my wolf form.

After nearly an hour of walking, I finally reached an area with houses crystallized in ice, making paved roads slick and dangerous. Stepping carefully and trying to keep my balance from falling over, I make my way through the streets of the city. The city itself is only about four or five streets intersecting at one point. I head for the area, which seems to be the most central point.

In the center, another archway glistens within a capsule of ice. The arch way is made out of stone with symbols marking all the way across. Until it reaches the top part of the curve, which is completely missing. Not even rumble under it to show it was once complete.

“Light warrior? You waste your time here.” A voice reverberates behind me. I pivot quickly, ready for anyone to jump at me but only see the barren street. Swallowing hard to relax my panic, I survey down the street for anyone.

“I repeat, Light warrior. There is nothing here for you.” The voice is feminine and now seems to be less reverberant. I slowly moved back to look at the archway, and now I can see the speaker. She stands near the archway with her arms across her chest. I gasped at the similarities of the spirit in front of me to the blind bear in the cabin near the lake, Belva. However, this bear has her long blonde hair in a warriors braid tight down the front of her chest. She wears armor intricately adorned with symbols and ornaments on hardened leather with a fur shawl draped over one arm.

“I am looking for something to help me.” I say with some confidence trying to meet this spirit eye-to-eye and not be intimidated by her posture. “I am willing to help you find peace if you might be able to help me.”

“What help can a wolf give us now? We may have been the caretakers of this portal when that demon stepped over into this realm, but when we called for help, it was your lupine naivete and arrogance that led us to our doom. Our gods were no longer able to send spirit warriors to purge the imbalances of this world.” The tall bear warrior crosses her arms, and I can feel her rage and frustration rippling around me. “Now you come as a thief to steal something for your own gain.”

“I know not of what you are accusing me of. I’m not even sure if what I need is even available here. I am here because my m-“ I start to defend myself, but with a feral growl, she cuts me off. Her eyes were bright red and lit with anger.

“You have yourself bonded to the enemy, to that vile devil. That creature is only in this realm to destroy, and you are too close to it.” She continuously growls and hisses in anger towards me. “Leave this place and rot in the hell your people have wrought.”

My entire body wants to run away from her intimidating and menacing aura. The spirits I have encountered have always been lost in their own turmoil and have barely ever realized I was there. They move in the same patterns over and over again. I am actually curious as to why this spirit is so different and why she is guarding the gate. My mate said that a gate here would allow communication with spirits, but never thought the spirit could intimidate me so much to want to run away in fear. I can’t be deterred from this, though. I have to be strong for the people still living. I came here to seek aid not to be berated and run away.

Clenching my fists and staring directly at the malevolent spirit, “I am the Crowned Princess of Redland, AmAela. I was attacked by the demon as a young child and cast a spell on myself to protect from its assaulted. The damage I attained has tangled the spell upon itself and has fractured me so much that I don’t have my memories while my wolf is a second personality. I didn’t come to steal from you or your people. I came to find a way to access the gifts already bestowed to my bloodline.”

“Coincidental, you don’t have any memories, but yet you are so wrapped within its claws still.” The spirit’s eyes point at me with her sharp nose almost as if to look down at me as pitiful welp. I keep my head up, and then she tips her head to the side, “How many eons have it been?”

My shoulders ache with tension as I’m scared to speak. I don’t really want her to know my mate is the one who brought me here because of how angry she was about the bond but I think I might be able to use the tall old bear lady. “I do not know. I am unsure of the history of this place. I received an amulet from Titan, and Belva believed I might be able to benefit from entering the spirit world from this place.”

The spirit’s facial expression changes instantly with the name Belva. I nailed it, thankfully. She shakes her head, “Belva, you’ve spoken to my daughter? How is she?”

Belva told me she had learned there is importance in names, and hers may be needed on my journey. I really didn’t suspect it would be needed so quickly. I am almost breaking my sigh of relief but focus on being unwavering in my attitude.

“She is as to be expected. She was injured in a war, and I’m not sure if it was the battle here. She lost both her eyes. But she lives in a cabin not too far away, and it's homely. She says she has four sons that have all scattered and have yet to return.” I say and watch the spirit seem saddened by my story but appreciative to hear.

“So, the bear lines continue then?” She mumbles and almost looks like she’s crying. “What of the mountains and forest around me? Do they still stand?”

“Yes, the Northern White Forest is breathtakingly beautiful. I have enjoyed my journey so far in the vast wonderland of snow.” I say with a large smile, but almost have trouble finishing my comment when the spirit seems angrier.

“White? What do you mean, white?” She screams aghast.

“The trees are white barked with white needles, and the snow often coats everything, so traveling through is blanketed with white.” I confirm, and her expression drops into even more sorrowful expression.

She shakes her head slowly in disbelief, “That’s nothing like it was. The trees were different shades of green, and their leaves were wide and luscious. Only the tops of mountains would hold snow. Even after the leaves turned colors in the autumn, the branches would never let the snow reach the forest floor.”

The image is hard to imagine after the long trek in the snow and cold even during the summer months. The gravity of the damage done here is extremely disturbing, and I wish I knew more, but nothing I’ve ever studied told anything of this caliber could change the landscape of the world so dramatically. I know magical artifacts and rare creatures are often seen in this forest, but it sounds like the forest has been altered.

“I am Selva. My title was Ursa of the Great Forest. Its protector and priestess are just as similar as you are as the Crowned Princess. My daughter is Belva. Now, you said Titan gave you a medallion. May I have it?” She holds her hand out to me, and I can see the same cold expression similarly found on my mate and my heart thumps. I reach up and grasp the amulet tightly. Something in me tells me not to let it go. The spirit seems impatient and growls lowly before yelling at me, “Give it to me.”

“No, he gave it to me. I will wear it but show you it only in proof I have it, but you will not touch it.” I voice confidently at her and see her smirk almost like a Chester cat.

She almost seemed shocked and surprised about my disobedience, but I just held the amulet tighter and kept my head up. She chuckles to herself, but her intimidating presence is altered to a deviant aura, “Good. You have more common sense than your forerunners. Don’t let any other creature or beast touch that amulet. It's specifically designated for you. Now, use a dagger to slice into your hand and hold it by its handle so the blood runs down your elbow. Then, step through the archway, it's broken, but only in one direction as long as you have the amulet acclimated to you, then you will find yourself again.”

Then she vanished without a goodbye or even a sound. I walk closer to the archway and touch the cool stone. I took my dagger and cut a slit on my palm. I held my dagger with my wounded hand and watched the blood drip down to my elbow. With a deep breath to regulate my heartrate, I step across the threshold of the archway, and I find myself somewhere I’ve never seen before.