He didn’t wait for me to respond, just slid down the tree and rejoined the group below. A moment later, I descended as well, reveling in the permanent smile that had settled on Riza’s lips. I loved seeing her like this, I realized. And if Varga’s advice panned out, I figured I’d get to make her just as happy, if not happier, someday.
I’d need to survive this quest and vanquish the Hermessi first, but hey, with that expression of hers embedded profoundly in my memory, there was nothing that could stand in my way. I had a feeling I might fall prey to some form of delusional optimism, but I put that thought aside as we made our way back to the river and headed toward the pink water cave.
Without giving it a second thought, I took Riza’s hand in mine, and she gave me a brief look. I couldn’t understand what it meant, but she didn’t let go—so it had to be good. Through no fault of her own, Riza made me feel strange and inadequate, sometimes. As if I wasn’t enough. In my defense, my whole persona faded in front of her. Riza was a tough and fierce jinni. I’d never felt anything like this before. Maybe that was why my demeanor had shifted over the past few days. Why my confidence had plummeted, yet I couldn’t stop looking for an angle into her heart. But feeling her skin on mine… that canceled everything out, even the prospect of dying on this mission.
Maybe we’d win, and maybe we’d lose. But the one thing I was ready to bet my life on was that, no matter what, I’d be close to Riza, in victory and in defeat. And she didn’t seem to mind. You might get that second chance, after all.
Amelia
The pink water cave was hidden beneath a pile of massive boulders, each covered in a thick layer of moss and climbing flowers. Had we not known about it, we never would’ve guessed it was there. We moved carefully as we snuck through the narrow crevices, until we reached the main tunnel leading downward.
It got colder, the darkness ever present. With careful steps, we made our way deeper into the bowels of the earth, each of us likely thinking about the werewolves and the tribespeople. What a beautiful thing that was to witness! For those of us accustomed to the supernatural, seeing a werewolf never came as a shock. But for people who’d spent their lives in this virgin wilderness, looking to the sky and the winds for clues about their existence and their future, werewolves were… extraordinary and different. In many cultures on this planet, they’d always been the stuff of fiction. Men had used their stories to hide their vicious crimes against innocent children and grown people alike. In other cultures, the werewolves were legendary, gods in their own right. Tribes had never interacted with such creatures, so it was truly marvelous to see them not only getting along, but peacefully coexisting.
It was just another reason for me to do everything in my power to stop the Hermessi’s plans. This whole world was too beautiful to destroy. Every living, breathing organism deserved to see tomorrow, and the day after, and the years that would follow. Who were these elementals to decide our end for us, when they themselves were mere agents of the universe? It just wasn’t fair, nor was it natural. Thankfully, Death was on the same page, if slightly incapacitated.
The pink water glistened below, lit from the bottom. It was our only source of light, and it was barely a glow, but it was better than nothing. We made it to the stony edge, noticing tall sprigs of Devil’s Weed growing around, their submerged roots stretching down the pond’s walls. Acantha and Nethissis were quick to cut off several pieces, enough to last us for another week or two. We wrapped them up in soft linen and put them in our backpacks, then dove right in.
It had become the norm to observe crystal eggs forming deep down, though we kept away from them. On Calliope, they’d birthed Daughters, but they’d also made Shills, like on Cerix. We’d already learned not to poke anything belonging to the primordial fluid. It wasn’t as though Tebir or any of Earth’s Hermessi would create something hostile to us, but we didn’t want to take any chances.
Our destination and our mission were clear, and there was no time left to waste.
With breathing devices on, we swam to the bottom, the walls closing in on us. The light became brighter and clearer as we approached it. I set my mind on Cerix, this time, hoping we wouldn’t have any nasty surprises waiting for us in the white space. We’d understood that the Hermessi’s forms were limited in there; however, they could still hurt us or, worse, kill us.
Fortunately, the blankness between dimensions and worlds was just that. Endless white and quiet. We pulled ourselves through another pink water opening and went up, our legs and arms moving rapidly through the liquid.
As soon as we reached the surface, I recognized the room. Crystal eggs were still forming here, but none had developed enough to hatch. After we’d left the Samotarcis Domain, the Hermessi’s creative desires must’ve gone dormant. We climbed up and took our breathing devices off, while Acantha and Nethissis gave us all gummy capsules filled with invisibility paste.
We were quiet, worried we might stir something to life. As soon as we vanished from sight, we put red lenses on as Riza teleported us out of the perfect sphere-shaped cave. We’d made it to Cerix, and Lemnos Woods sprawled around us.
Raphael took my hand, squeezing gently, as if to reassure me that we’d be okay. He couldn’t know that for sure, but I did appreciate the silent encouragement. Beneath the forest floor were the tunnels, where the Brothers of the Shadow had once lived. Most of the tunnels had collapsed, and many of the Brothers had perished during the Shills’ first attack, but I knew some had survived and were engaging in peaceful conversation with Emperor Tulla. We’d left this place better than we’d found it, in the end.
“This place is still torn down,” Taeral whispered, glancing around.
Indeed, the damage caused by our previous encounter with the Shills was visible. Some of the tunnels—most of them leading into the empire’s original library archives—had been sealed off by dislodged rocks and debris.
“Maybe someday, after all this Hermessi crap is over and done with, they’ll get all the documents out of here and find a better storage solution,” I murmured.
Raphael shot me a quick smirk. “You feel sorry for all the books, don’t you?”
I nodded, making him chuckle softly.
“That way,” Eira said, pointing ahead. The corridor was sinuous, shifting left and right, here and there, but we could still see the beams of sunlight at the very end, coming from the opening above. Eva, Varga, Fallon, and I pulled on our hoods, masks, and goggles, ready for the daylight. Invisible and light on our feet, secured with Devil’s Weed, we could move freely without the immediate threat of the Hermessi or even their abominable Shills and Titans and whatever else they might think to throw at us.
Danger was still present here on Cerix, but we’d learned to dodge it as best as we could.
Once we got topside, I sucked in a breath. The forest was unchanged—black bark on its tall trees, a blanket of leaves on the ground, and plenty of fern shrubs sprinkled across. There was no sign of the battle that had been waged here. The blood had been washed away by several rains, for sure.
“It’s like nothing ever happened here,” Eira observed, looking around with a surprised expression on her face.
“I know,” I said. “If we hadn’t been here before, we wouldn’t even know that any Cerixians had dwelled here, until recently.”
“They must’ve cleaned up after we left and after the Shills went away,” Varga suggested. “Surely, the Brothers would have come back for their fallen soldiers, to give them a proper burial.”
Lumi nodded. “I’d have done the same. Either way, it’s better, if you ask me. The less trauma this world remembers, the better.”
“We can head straight to Silvergate from here,” Taeral replied. “We just need to link hands.”
A few seconds later, we were back on the Landing Bed, where we’d set foot upon Cerix during our first visit. The last time we were here, we’d been threatened and hunted by fearful Cerixians, Hermessi cultists, and Shills. It was different today.
The sun gleamed from behind a massive domed temple, still rising in the early morning. The sky was clear, with the exception of a few white streaks. The city of Silvergate was peaceful and tranquil, and no one had noticed us atop the stepped platform. Inhaling deeply, I welcomed the floral fragrances of spring, as all the trees had blossomed in soft shades of pink, violet, blue, orange, and yellow. There was a sense of calmness that pervaded the entire city, and I loved it. It was the complete opposite of what I’d been expecting.
“This is weird,” Eva said, frowning.
“Not necessarily,” Lumi replied. “We should’ve expected this atmosphere. Inalia had said so herself, just before we left this place. As soon as we were gone, Cerix went back to its normal course, and the Hermessi had to focus their efforts against us elsewhere. There was no reason to attack or punish the locals in our absence.”
“Still, it doesn’t make it any less weird,” Eva muttered. “I don’t know, it just gives me the creeps. It’s pretty and all, but I can’t bring myself to enjoy a single second of it, given my knowledge of this world’s… custodians, let’s call them. I understand the fanatic evil lurking just beneath the surface, and this faux sense of tranquility is, in itself, dangerous.”
That, I had no choice but to agree with. As much as I enjoyed this city, as it was, I couldn’t allow myself to forget its secrets and the dangers just waiting around the corner, looking for the opportunity to pounce on us. Looking around again, I noticed its charm had dissipated. Suddenly evaporated, never to be seen again. Silvergate was, once more, a war zone—albeit a beautiful one, with manicured lawns and trimmed hedges and trees, masterfully erected buildings and elegant fashions.
“I think we need to make ourselves noticed, now. Derek did give Medina the details of our arrival here, but she can’t greet us if she can’t see us.” Taeral sighed. “Morfuris.”
We all recited the brief spell that removed the effect of invisibility. For a while, nothing happened. “Even the troops that usually guard this place aren’t here,” I whispered.
“Medina must’ve ordered them to stay away. The fewer people that see us, the better,” Taeral replied. “I wanted to teleport us all to the palace, directly, but Medina insisted on meeting us up here, first.”
“Kind of unnecessary, if you ask me,” Herakles said, and Taeral nodded in agreement.
“Yes, but… you know, diplomacy and compromises and whatnot. This area is empty, anyway. We’re good, for now.”
“Where is she, though?” Eira asked, glancing around. This had been the plan from the very beginning. Discreetly enter Silvergate, show up at the Landing Bed, and let the prime minister come fetch us.
“Okay, here she comes,” Herakles said, nodding at a single figure coming up the stairs. I hadn’t even noticed her. Then again, a garrison was much easier to spot than one Cerixian. “The welcoming committee, so to speak.”
“Yes, that’s Medina,” Eira replied, squinting so she could see her better.
Indeed, a female Cerixian in a black leather uniform was coming up towards us. She reached the top of the stairs and stopped for a moment, just to look at us. She smiled briefly and walked forward, the low heels of her boots clicking across the stone slabs. She eyed us carefully for about half a minute before she smiled.
“Welcome back, travelers,” she said, her voice heavy and sharp. I could easily picture her barking orders, and soldiers scrambling to fulfil them. She had an authoritarian vibe and a cold glare. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun—perfectly combed, looking as if it had been sculpted, thread by thread. A pin was mounted on the elastic band, depicting Silvergate’s emblem, made of silver and embellished with emerald and sapphire gemstones.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Prime Minister,” Taeral replied and proceeded to introduce us.
Medina measured us from head to toe and smiled. “I’m honored to have you all here,” she said. “I’m only sorry this meeting couldn’t take place under better circumstances.”
“I assume you were already briefed on the purpose of our visit. Is everything prepared for us?” Taeral asked.
“Yes. We have your rooms set up in a secret wing of the emperor’s palace, and only a handful of people were informed. Specifically, myself, the emperor, and the four soldiers who will tend to your needs while housed there. I may assign additional troops to serve as protective detail, if needed. Besides that, no one else will be aware of your presence. You have my word that those who do know will not divulge anything. The palace has been sparsely populated since your departure, for security reasons.”
Taeral nodded slowly. “That’s good. The fewer people that know, the better. It’s for everyone’s safety. Mind if I ask why you wanted us to come here, first? You insisted, in fact. We could’ve just shown up at the palace.”
