Inside the Precipice

District of Guidance, Fifth Ring

Tharia closed off her own heart. The lips formed thin lines and the eyes had an uncaring expression on them. Annabelle could never learn what happened here. She couldn’t know what it had taken to bring her back from the edge. Mother Bone opened up a hand with earth trickling out of it. The young girl on the altar jerked once and then closed her eyes. With time frozen, Tharia didn’t know whether she breathed or not but at that moment she knew the girl would die.

She felt her hands were bloody, yet when she looked at them, a thin layer of earth lay therein. Something pricked her fingers and she saw the earth permeate into her skin, vanishing inside of her.

“This is doing my head in”, Tharia said.

“We remember the confusion”, the young voice said.

“We will have remembered the illogical impulse to trust ourselves”, the crone added. The old woman in the coat made of earth and bone walked up to Annabelle. She placed a bony hand on the silver-haired head. The hand suddenly burst into blue flames that spread to the entirety of Mother Bone. The Pyre danced hither and fro. The spark inside Tharia reacted with frantic unrest. Sudden black feathers sprouted on Annabelle’s skin. They grew out of her, then became oddly distorted as they grew beyond their limits. It’s something that felt familiar to Tharia. For a second, she saw the long muzzle of a scaly creature hover beyond Annabelle before it vanished in a cloud of dirt.

“It is done. Bring her to the precipice of the third ring. You will find the Dreamreaper”, the adult face spoke.

“We will not have her remember”, the crone now spoke, “You will not speak of this to her. It must not be her fault that the child will die. This guilt you must carry”

“Now we have three more questions for ourselves”, the young one said.

With but a blink, the old woman stood right in front of Tharia and placed a bony finger on her chin. The human girl felt her face pushed to either side. Tharia stood quietly. Did she have questions?

“The first question she asks”, Grandmother Bone asked with the face of a girl, “Is to wonder what we are. She knows the answer deep within. We are what was before the gods came. We are what still is, now that the gods have left. We are the roads not taken, we are the paths forbidden and the places forgotten. In time, you shall walk all these”

The moment she heard those words, Tharia realized that this would have been her question.

“The second question is simpler still”, the adult woman now continued, “She inquires what is to become of her and whether what we are, is what she will be. Thus, hear our answer. You are to become balance. If this world is to persist, you will be the shadow to the light. Your hands will drench blood, where hers will spring divine. Together, you are inbetween, not quite radiant, not quite rotten”

Like before, the question manifested the moment Mother Bone talked about it. And with that, the third question came with the face of the crone.

“The third question is that of a selfish one”, the crone said and brushed a bony finger through Tharia’s hair, “You have not been chosen. You were not born special. You chose, you became. You trusted because you needed to. This path is twisted and we will remember it not being pretty. The choice is yours, you might become what we are or you might falter”

Three questions and three answers. All of them left her more confused than ever before. The hunched figure with the heavy coat walked over towards the spliced open Lord Farian. A bony hand disappeared down the mess and suddenly pulled out a fist-sized golden gem.

“This we must keep until her radiance shines. We will meet two more times, once when your friend is freed and once, when we will have chosen to die”, the figure said with three voices at once. It pulled the essence-gem under her coat. A sudden gust of wind told Tharia her surroundings had changed again. Mother Bone was gone, or rather, she was back in the cage. Yet when she now looked at her, all she saw was a skeleton lying inside an old leather coat.

Annabelle stumbled back. The Scythe clattered to the earth and she looked around with confusion. Tharia quickly looked at the girl and much to her surprise, she found the child still breathing. Remembering her duty, Tharia ran towards Annabelle. The smile she crafted, she didn’t quite feel.

“We did it Annie”, she said and slung herself around her friend, “We killed another one of your torturers. Are you feeling alright? Did that black light hurt you?”

The lie was quickly woven. It was a task most bittersweet. She lied to prevent her friend from feeling more pain, yet the act of lying was pain itself.

“Black light?” Annabelle raised her eyebrows ever so slightly. It was obvious she was deeply confused by where she was.

“Yes, when you killed Lord Farian and tried to reach for his essence, some black light came and snatched up the gem. Don’t you remember?” Tharia leaned in close and looked at the goddess with one eyebrow raised.

“I don’t”

Tharia pushed her lower lip outwards and then just shrugged.

“Oh well, maybe it’s for the best. This was one messed up guy. Didn’t you say he was a schemer? Seemed more like a complete nutjob to me. That reminds me, let’s get the others out. I trust the child will want to return to her mother. You never know when life might end these days”

Inside of her head, her mind raced. Why was the child still alive? Wasn’t she the price? She noticed the girl coughing and when the small hand opened, there was earth inside. Tharia balanced on her toes to steal a cheeky peck from Annabelle and then went about freeing the others. She acted merry but deep inside, something had broken inside of Tharia. Annabelle also took a while to get moving, but when she did, it was like the Dreamreaper had never taken over to begin with.

Back at the Chambers of Detachment

District of Guidance, Fifth Ring

“You brought them back! The descent of the false Star notwithstanding”, Ravid grabbed Tharia’s hands with a hint too much force and caused her to wince. He didn’t even notice and then did the same to Annabelle – only this time around he found her squeeze back. Sometimes, her friend could be proper petty.

“As many as we could”, Tharia said and shot a glance towards the young girl. The cough had gotten worse. Ravid embraced his people before whirling around. The weight of the armor dragged him further and he stumbled, barely keeping his balance. He then handed Tharia the Family Ring back.

“Maybe you really aren’t all bad. Come, stay for the rest of the night. We’ll give you food, shelter and if you want, you can use the cleansing baths. We’ve got some clean water left we’d be willing to share”

Tharia quickly shook her head. As tempting as the offer was, she wanted to be as far away from this place as possible. Whenever she looked at the oblivious mother, she felt a knot in her stomach grow tighter.

“Thanks for the offer but it is best we get back on the road. If you can give us a few rations that will be fine”, Tharia said. She turned around and headed back towards the fortification when she felt Annabelle’s hand on her shoulder.

“We take it”, her friend said. Tharia wanted to scream but could only put on a fake smile.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes”, Annabelle insisted with a raised finger and then leaned in closer for a whisper, “the bath?”

Tharia felt her shoulders sag.

“But we should...”

“No denying. Let’s stay. You need rest, it’s obvious you’re in pain”, Annabelle said. Tharia felt a gentle nudge back towards the Chambers of Detachment. A sullen mood took hold of her, but she pushed it aside for Annabelle. You better be strong, Tharia. Poisoner, a quiet part in her mind added. Get your mind into the right state. You’re the ever happy, ever energetic little fairy.

“Alright, my love drunk fornicorn. Let’s take a rest”, she said with a grin on her lips and then playfully pressed a finger against Annabelle’s nose.

“Fornicorn?”

“Well, one part rare unicorn”, Tharia once more got up close to Annabelle and leaned into her from the side. Her lips almost touched the ear. She felt the warmth of the other woman nearby and it filled the void she felt deep inside her stomach. The girl couldn’t help but tease her a little. The voice took on a low rasp when Tharia whispered the words into Annabelle’s ears.

“The second part is what you had in mind when you mentioned the bath”

She accentuated it by blowing warm air along the earlobe. Annabelle blinked until Tharia mouthed the word ‘fornicate’. Much to the goddess’ credit, not even that got her to crack her stonefaced mask by much. She didn’t blush, but then again, they weren’t little girls anymore.

“You said to wait”, Annabelle muttered.

Instead of an answer, Tharia ran a finger along Annie’s shoulder but then suddenly raised it high into the air.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. I heard legends of a feast most luxurious. We’d appreciate your hospitality. Allow us to become presentable and we shall join you at your table soon”

The cleansing baths

District of Guidance, Fifth Ring

Tharia felt the surprisingly warm water touch her skin. She had her eyes closed and drank in the sensations around her. There was a distinct scent of roses in the air and the water moved ever so slightly of its own. Each ripple brushed gentle waves against her slim chest.

A sudden touch on her shoulder made her shiver. She squinted her eyes open. The flickering light of the candles gave the room a warm atmosphere and their lights and shadows on Annabelle’s bare skin proved intoxicating. She reached out for Annabelle’s hands and observed how a flicker of light accented the slight sway of the pale bosom. Tharia didn’t feel jealous of the size, there was just a simple appreciation for the form and a desire to run her fingers along their full curvature, a wish to brush against the perky tips and to make Annabelle shiver.

She felt Annabelle squeeze her hand and looked up at her friend. Their eyes locked and with that one moment, they both smiled. The lust vanished just like that. No words were needed to postpone this. Annabelle sank down into the water and leaned her back against Tharia. The short-haired girl slung her arms around the waist and simply hugged her friend close.

“Truth be told, I’m not really feeling like it either”, Tharia said, “I know I denied you a few days ago and now I said the opposite. It's not indecision. I have decided. In my mind, I know I love you and you love me”

Tharia gave her friend a gentle squeeze and then started to brush her hands along Annabelle’s arms in a gesture that wasn’t sexual yet intimate in nature.

“So I thought with this, I’d let you know. It’s alright. Maybe it’s stupid to dive head first into this but why not? Today I made a decision. Everything I do, I will do for you. I’ll devote myself to you”

The truth behind her words gnawed at her consciousness and sapped away all warmth from her body. This was a moment that was meant to give the foundation to their love - and it did, but it also gave ground for the darkness within her heart. It had been a stupid idea to try and fill it with physical lust. Sure, she’d feel amazing for a bit but after each height and with each little agony at the top came a terrible fall after. Today, after what she had done, the fall would be deadly.

“I appreciate it, but I’d appreciate silence too. Let’s savor this” Annabelle said.

“Yeah sure I can do that. No problem. So is there a particular – oh like right now? Sure”

Tharia blinked as Annabelle leaned back. It felt good to feel her body on her skin and she thrived on the warmth it gave her. What didn’t feel quite so great was the revenge of the silver hair-kraken. No matter how beautiful and silky Annabelle’s hair was to look at and caress, in moments like this it always managed to nearly choke her with fine hair getting everywhere. Especially onto the tip of her nose and on her lips. Tharia quickly collected the strands and pulled them aside with routine. Just doing that filled her with a feeling of happiness. It had become routine – but only because they had gotten so close that it could become one. With a sigh she then snatched up the lone rebellious hair that had broken free and put it along with the others. This was a good moment.

They spend some time just enjoying each other’s warmth without having done anything more than just holding each other. Tharia was happy. Until something heavy hammered against the door. Ravid’s panicked voice could be heard from the outside.

“Miss Verholden, come quick. Something is wrong with the little girl. You must heal her!”

Fate had a way to smash her back down onto the ground and rub her face against the pavement. She let go of Annabelle. Her friend stood up with a confused expression while Tharia quickly crawled out of the bath. Water dripped off her skin and she quickly brushed it off, then slipped into the vest and pants. She was in a hurry, so her clothes quickly soaked with water. The price to pay for this happiness had come knocking.

Opening up the door, still mostly dripping wet, she stood in a way that the boy couldn’t get a look at Annabelle. The blush in his face said enough about what he would fantasize about in the coming weeks. She simply pushed him aside and closed the door behind her.

“Where?”

Ravid led her into a small room. The mother stood aside and was crying quietly. Tharia found the girl on a couch and knelt down beneath her. It was obvious it would be over soon. No one with such a deathly pale skin had long to live. Tharia tried regardless. She placed her hands on the head of the child and allowed her divine spark to decouple from her spine. Her lower half immediately slumped. Blue flames ran across her fingers with the same hue as that of the Mother Bone.

She sensed inside of the frail body and felt a presence within. Black roots had manifested themselves everywhere. Tiny feathers sprouted around various organs and a black muzzle with reptilian eyes stared directly at the intruding spark. She felt feathers envelop her spark and drain it rapidly until she could do nothing but pull it back.

The girl coughed up blood, some of it got on Tharia’s hands. The short-haired woman finally stopped and fell to the ground. All strength had left her. This was her doing. She had sentenced the kid to death. Tharia felt tears run down her cheeks, they burned with the intensity of fire and guilt. Voices screamed and shouted all around her, yet she didn’t hear them anymore. Strong arms lifted her off the ground and the silvery hair-kraken draped onto her face. She saw Annabelle’s face and tried to give her a smile that failed miserably.

Chambers of Detachment

District of Guidance, Fifth Ring

“They don’t blame you”, Annabelle said. She looked at Tharia sprawled on the makeshift bedroll. The small girl looked utterly miserable. Worst of all were the attempts to keep smiling, they made it so much worse.

“They should”, Tharia replied and pressed a hand against her eyes.

“Why? You gave it your all. I saw you heal until you collapsed. What more is there to give?” Annabelle said.

Her words felt inadequate to herself. They were never her strength. When she was younger and when the divine words could cause storms and floods, she had learned to be quiet. She didn’t need to anymore, but the effects remained: She was unable to console her love. She stood next to her with her hands opening and closing, her feet shuffling. Should she lie down next to her and stay close? Maybe it would be better to give her a bit of room. How did one go about these things? Annabelle didn’t know.

“Let us leave”, Tharia said, “Please. I know it’s late, I know we are tired and drenched but I can’t be here. Any place but here”

Annabelle quickly gathered their belongings while Tharia remained on the bedroll. Once she was done, she gently picked her friend up. It was almost scary how light her friend was. If need be, she could carry her over her shoulder with one hand. She didn’t. Somehow allowing her friend to snuggle against her chest seemed more appropriate.

They had reached the main room when she heard steps behind them. Ravid had appeared, once more in full plate armor. He shouldered a large bag.

“The mother wanted to thank you that you tried. She knows it wasn’t your fault”, he said. Annabelle felt Tharia’s slim fingers dig into her arm until it hurt.

“If you will allow me, I’ll show you one of the Sziethuses, uh secondary houses? It’s not far from here, you can lock it down and take care of her, far away from here”

Annabelle nodded in reply. When the knight took point, he looked much more reliable in her eyes than he had before. Something about him seemed to have matured. He led them along the temple bridge towards a small staircase at the side. All the way down Tharia didn’t say a single thing. The promised house actually turned out to be part of the staircase. The lower end had a massive metal door leading towards a room. Ravid handed them the key and then held out the bundle towards them.

“Share of the food. Should keep you going for weeks. We insist you take it. No matter what happened in the end, you brought many of us back and we’re grateful for that. Don’t ever forget that, wherever you go”, the young boy said and placed the bundle on the ground. It had seemingly taken him a while to realize that neither of the two women was currently able to take it.

“You’ve grown up a lot since we met”, Annabelle said.

“I had to. When you attacked me, it opened my eyes to what kind of world we live in. Until then I always thought there’d be some knights in shining armor. In the end, I guess I will have to become one. You two were right, this armor is stolen. I was just a shitty stableboy. But it fits me now”, Ravid said and raised his fist up high.

“Thank you for everything. Take care”, he added and then left.

Annabelle carefully placed Tharia down on a dusty looking bunk bed, when she tried to stand up again, Tharia grabbed her arm.

“Stay close, just for this night”

“I will if you set the barrier up. Otherwise, I need to guard us”

Tharia looked up at Annabelle and fell back onto the bed.

“I’m sorry. I’m such a mess. Tomorrow, I’ll be strong again”, the short girl whispered.

“Shh, don’t be stupid. You’re strong now. No one can do what you can”

Upon hearing her words, Tharia suddenly chuckled and brushed a hand along her cheeks.

“You’re getting better with words”, she said and put up another smile. It still seemed fake to Annabelle. It wasn’t a malicious kind of fake but rather the attempt to hold onto something, so she honored it with one of her own. Tharia pushed herself off the bed. She leaned forward and just as it looked like she would fall off, she paused a moment. Suddenly, Tharia yelped in pain with her legs convulsing in unhealthy directions. It hurt Annabelle just from watching. With wobbly legs, her little fairy started laying out the circular chain of the barrier. With a sideglance, Annabelle noticed that Tharia had cut her fingers from fiddling with the damned family ring.

“Let me call the holy Bethany then. This I can do. Tonight, we appreciate life. Tomorrow, we enter the fourth ring and bring thunder and fire to this damnable world”

End: Paths not taken | Coming up: The domain of Ill-Luminance