Small cottages scattered between trees, each pumping out tails of smoke to the heavens. Tons of cattle and other beasts of burden, both locked behind fences and roaming freely. Gardens spread out everywhere. Another trailhead caught his attention—it led off into a much denser woodland, and piqued Cy's interest.
"We return our husks to the Ethereal Rift when we die," the girl said.
Cy glanced at the smaller Teleportals, then pulled out the Space Rune emblem he carried. Etherealists are everywhere, man, and all wearing that crest that Ole Patty drew out in her memories. But why are they so far away from the Ethereal Rift? I just need to find someone with some answers.
How much information should I give them? Should probably hold all my cards to my chest and be as vague as possible. That's what The Painter would do.
And why can't I shake this bad feeling I've had since Shinsora? Am I not supposed to be here?
Cy and Jules halted outside of the massive torii gate. What's with all the Shrine architecture today?
"If you'll give us a moment, we need to discuss something," Jules said.
"Take your time."
Cy grabbed Jules' shoulder and whispered in his ear. "If the time is ever right, ask her about the Magi."
"Right." Jules left them and joined the girl inside the temple.
Cy dropped off Envy, Whiskers, and Rukia inside another room of the temple. A Healer came in and assured they were in good hands. Rukia tugged on the Shaman Beads and gave him a thumbs up and a wink. Right. Time I be headed off, then.
"I'd like to speak to someone in your Faction," Cy said. "Someone who can answer a lot of questions."
"What is it you seek?" the Healer asked.
"I honestly don't know. That chick—I mean girl—mentioned someone that I think would outrank her?"
"The High Priest?"
"Yeah, where is he?"
"I am Bound to silence." A Binding Vow? Guess that makes sense. The Healer stared off through the gate. Cy followed her line of sight.
"That trailhead?" She simply stared at him. "Silence, right. Thank you, and take care of her. Please."
"Safe travels on the Path," the Healer said.
As Cy drew closer to the trail that had caught his attention walking through the village earlier, his heart rate quickened. The trail's mouth was a well-worn path, trodden by countless bare feet and shoes alike. No grass grew on the trail here, and no roots covered it. But the further out cy travelled, the less apparent the foot traffic became. Blades of grass invaded the dirt until entire pods roped across it, and the trail became less obvious. Am I still going the right way?
Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, despite the cool, crisp air. A minor reverberation in his skull turned into a headache, and grew with every step. He felt heavy, of body and breath. He stopped and had to blink a few dozen times—black spots spread across his vision, and he could have sworn both sides of the path rustled with beasts in the underbrush. Illusion magic?
? ? Distorted Vision ? ?
Cy used an Illusion Script on himself, helping it would knock his vision back in place. Appears to have worked, for now at least. His heart vibrated and hummed nonstop. A handful of ghoulish figures approached him from the woods, but every time he turned to look at them, they'd vanish into air. I see why this part of the path is less traveled—And great. Now it's all but disappeared.
Cy scanned the forest, unsure of where to go next. He felt pulled in multiple directions, as if called to something beyond the next thicket, and not even drawing out his Vessel, Tensa, offered any help. For what seemed like hours, he wandered in circles, as if in another maze, until he came across a Shrine. Thing looks like it could be a century old.
"That is not for you, child." Cy spun around and faced the man.
"Thank Salvos, another human! Wait…" Those robes are different than the others' in the village. These robes are like what that Etherealist wore in Coralhaven with Patty.
"What are you doing here?" the man demanded.
"Trying to find my way back to the path."
"Who are you?"
"Just a wanderer, looking for some answers," Cy said.
"Why are you out here, then?"
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"Looking for the High Priest. Guess I found him." The man grunted back, but didn't affirm his identity. "What was that path, and what type of magic is that?"
"I'm surprised you don't know, having made it this far, so how did you?"
"I cast a Script on myself to keep my vision—ah, maybe that's why the path disappeared entirely."
"Hmm, so you didn't arrive here on the path. Not truly." He looked Cy up and down. "Well, follow me. You don't want to stay out here too long, trust me. You'd better grab my shoulder, too."
Cy deactivated his Script and followed the man to a hut about a quarter-mile away. There were maps of The Verdant Domain spread out on a table, and scraps of paper with Runes and other Scripts written on them.
Another table was covered with food and large pitcher of water.
"Seems you've arrived where you intended to, child," the man said. "I am High Priest Edmund." Cy withheld his own name. "I believe you were in need of some answers. Did Anya send you here?"
"That the chick that everyone prayed to?" The High Priest narrowed his eyes. "Well, indirectly, yes. A Healer stared at the trailhead when I asked where to find you."
"Hm, I see. Good they kept silent." Riiight.
"I guess to start, do you have any Alters here?" I have a knack for running into them, and The Nomad could be—
"Alters are not welcome in Whispering Pines." Oh, OK. Take note of that for Future Cy.
"So what's the purpose of the Etherealists, exactly?"
"You came all the way out here to ask a question that a child's textbook could answer?"
"Nope."
The High Priest cracked a smile. "Right. We guard the Ethereal Rift, the source of all magic in Salvatica."
"Makes a lot of sense to do that a hundred miles away from it."
"You've clearly never been. It'd rip someone like you to shreds in less than a month." No way, so all those sick people…
"I felt it in Shinsora."
"I assure you, you did not. Long ago, the Etherealists made a pack with the Shinsorai and shielded them from the Rift's intensity."
"I think I even feel it here."
The High Priest studied Cy and offered him a glass of water. "That will make you feel better." How do I ask this next question? Wow, that did calm my nerves.
"Anya, the girl, mentioned something being foretold." I mean, specifically being not foretold, but semantics. "What type of prophesies do you all have?" Would it be too embarrassing to outright ask if I'm special? …Yes. Definitely yes.
"Why are you so keen on learning them?"
Probably not going to be able to dance around this guy. "Have you all ever expanded outside?" Edmund just stared at him. "I mean, internationally."
"Any nations in particular?"
Screw it. Full frontal assault. "Have you ever been to Coralith?" Cy asked. The man leaned against a table, then picked up a loaf of bread. He split it in half and offered a piece to Cy, who didn't take it.
"I'm afraid I never got your name." He held the offering out to Cy.
"Patricia." The High Priest bit into his bread, other arm still extended out for Cy to take his piece. "Ever been to an orphanage?" Come on, there's gotta be some prophecy about me. Why would they try to block it from Patty's memory? "Does Coralhaven strike a bell?"
The High Priest stopped chewing, and withdrew his arms, and Cy's bread offering with it.
"I think I know you," Cy said.
"And I know you, child." Cy perked up. Edmund tossed a newspaper at him. It landed with the Bounties page, face-up, and Cy's demeanor fell again. "Cyrus of No Surname."
For some reason, Cy thought about The Painter's portrait of Cy, the night they'd first met, and the name written below it in Sylvan.
"I assume that since you are here, you've discovered that is not your given name." The High Priest offered the bread again. Holy fucking shit. It was all practically within his fingertips. Cy accepted the offering and bit into the bread.
"How would you know?"
"I cannot say."
"What is my name?"
"I. Cannot. Say."
"Do you know who can??" I'm so close…
"You are an Etherealist by blood."
"OK—So what does that mean?"
"We are both locked to Binding Vows."
What? I only have one Binding Vow. "Show me your marking, then."
"I'm afraid I won't rip out my own heart, but…" It's on my heart? "There is another way, a task…"
"I'll do whatever it takes."
"A sacred tradition—"
"Done—"
"—An honorable duel—"
"Agreed, I said—"
"—To the death."
"Whatev—What!?"
Why do all these Verdant Domainians have to duel to the death!?
Cy felt a familiar sharp pain etch onto his heart. It reminded him, yet again, of The Painter, when they'd made their Binding Vow.
The next morning, Cy walked out of the temple into the cool, crisp dawn alone. Its massive courtyard was empty, a sharp contrast to the night before. But just on the other side of the torii gate, the entire village of Whispering Pines waited for him. He recognized a few faces from the day before, several more from last night. But what surprised him most were the men, women, and children who stood waiting for him this morning, that had been on their death beds just a day ago. No prayer circles followed them today, and they didn't look any further away from death's door.
All of them wearing their Etherealist crests on proud display, as well. Death…now there's a scary thought.
Cy turned back for the first time to the temple. Jules opened the sliding door and followed after Cy with Rukia, but Cy's attention was on Envy. Been in a tricky spot like this before, though you were at my side, then. Cy shrugged and felt Tensa hang heavy on his back. That time I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Jules, and now this time it's you.
Life. What a funny thing.
"Check the latest entry." Jules smacked Cy with a copy of The Sins of Wrath. "Our favorite author has fallen from grace, down to journalism, it seems."
"Sweet Salvos, Jules—You pay a monthly subscription for this trash?"
"?1,000 every month. Worth every one."
Cy read the newest section aloud.
THE BATTLE FOR SHINSORA
by B.S. Snelliott
It is with a heavy heart that I bring you more devastating news about the Deadliest Sin. It appears that Wrath's fury knows no bounds, not even after the disastrous Battle for Marina Veridia, of which there were no survivors.
"No survivors!? There were tons of survivors! And how would he know anything about it if no one lived to—"
"Cy, we're short on time."
"Fine, whatever."
Wrath and his henchmen—Rukia the Devilish Fox Familiar, The Mysterious Woman and her Feline Familiar, and Cyrus of No Surname—have leveled another city, the glorious and historic Shinsora. Not only that, but they have managed to rescue yet another Sin, Lust, and have escaped with her.
It should come as a surprise that Lust is none other than Seraphina Raventree, daughter of the formerly renown Raventree nobility—
"Alright, enough of this crap. I have a duel to win."
"Just skip down to the Bounties. I think you'll like what you see."
[Bounty Increased by ?500,000 for crimes committed in Shinsora. Total Bounty is now ?662,800]
Cy scanned to the end, and a slow smile crept across his face. Cy clapped Jules' back in appreciation.
"Yes. Yes I do." Now that's what I call a pep talk.
Cy marched through the crowd and made eye contact with as many of the Etherealists as he could. He continued on to the clearing they'd landed in just yesterday, where High Priest Edmund awaited him.
"If I win, will you tell me my name?" Cy asked him.
"If you win, you will have no one to ask. There is no mercy in a duel to the death."
Oh, come on—
"Begin," Anya commanded.