[Tian] 1:21 (Patreon)

Author's Note:

Salvos chapter and Melas chapter soon. Tian chapter now.

A STREAM OF PEOPLE LEAVE THORNTHISTLE.

They form an undulating line, like a river pouring from the gates of the city. It is not as many as I expected— certainly, it adds a substantial number hitherto not seen to the Keepers of the Grove. However, I believed there would have been more.

Unfortunately, there are still some who are unconvinced.

“You are all fools!” a voice rings out. I glance over at Bluerage. The man from the Frosty Mountains stumbles forward before propping himself up against Thornthistle’s walls. “Galgom will slaughter all of you! Even the Icecaller—”

A shadow looms over, cutting him off. The Websmith stares down at him with her glowing, crimson eyes. He shrinks back, stuttering.

“I… he…”

She shakes her head and leaves him be, cresting over the wall, following the small army that has been gathered. Kalmat leads them, walking with his sword raised somewhere in the front. I can make him even from where I stand on the city’s gates. And that is partly because of my keen eyesight, and partly because of how he carries himself.

He is a leader, that is for sure. Not like the Patriarch, who rules with an iron-fist. Kalmat is someone who leads by example— I cannot say that it is not admirable.

“I can’t believe we got stuck with staying at the back!” I glance over to the side, seeing a scowling Nindran. The azure-haired woman lets out an exaggerated sigh. “We’re gonna be waiting for a while, aren’t we?”

“It only makes sense,” I say, sweeping my gaze over the open field. While the slithering, snakey line of people does not stretch to the horizon, it is still rather long. “If someone attacks the flank, those at the front will not be able to react quickly. It is only prudent to place two of the better fighters where it is vulnerable.”

She perks up. “Hey— you’re right! It’s a good thing they assigned me here, eh?”

I quirk a brow, feigning confusion. “You?” I glance over to a boy standing off to the side. “I was referring to myself and Seiled.”

“Wait—” the azure-haired woman sputters.

I can see Caerulum setting as Rubrum returns to the sky. The period of false day begins just as we live Thornthistle. And according to Keshiy, it will end as we reach Crimsonhome.

True night will befall the world. I wonder what it is like. Total and utter darkness— the kind I feared as a child. Is such a thing possible in Jhisie? Can the Heavens lose their light? If they do, surely it is the end of the world as everyone in my world knows it.

However, not in Utana. The people here have experienced true night dozens of times in their lives. It is just a natural cycle— the way this world works.

***

It is less like transporting an army, and more like a band of ill-equipped people making a massive trek across a vast distance. There is very little order with the traveling group. They are rambunctious. They are rowdy.

And they are scared.

Perhaps that is why they all act so cheerily. They know that soon will come the bravest assault ever made against Galgom. We shall strike his Hive, and either he falls, or we do.

I am confident of my abilities; I do not fear a loss to Galgom. However, many of those with us have never retaliated against him before. They never picked up arms alongside the Keepers of the Grove. They are the ones who need inspiration.

That is why Kalmat calls the Keepers of the Grove in for a meeting. I am present too, of course. Although it has little to do with me. He gives everyone a role— every member who has fought for the Keepers since before I arrived.

They are veterans in fighting against Galgom’s machines. They shall be the leaders, in charge of the inexperienced. They go over drills, tactics, and different strategies in case the battle turns for the worst. I know my role. It is to face Galgom himself with the Websmith. So, I mostly stay out of the discussions.

When they are finished, the Keepers of the Grove slowly trickle out to carry out their duties. Only Kalmat remains. He walks over to me, taking a seat to my left. We both sit next to a small fire, my eyes are closed before he arrives.

I glance over at him, opening a single eye to meet his gaze.

“I don’t assume you’ve been napping this whole time, have you?” he asks.

“I have not.” I place a hand on my abdomen, feeling the Qi circulate through my meridian. And next to it is a solid lump. An inert energy that refuses to budge. “I have been thinking. Deliberating. There must be something I am doing wrong. After all, even after all these weeks, my Aura refuses to coalesce. I cannot find my Aspect.”

“You have done it before, Tian. That is how you earned your Feat.”

“I am aware,” I say as I get to my feet. “I know that this is something I am capable of. Hence, I have stopped pursuing the how, and moved on to the why.”

Kalmat gives me a curious look. “What do you mean?”

“I know how an Aura works. You have explained it to me numerous times. Even Nindran or Seiled is able to give me an explanation about an Aura.” I cross my arms, looking away from the crackling fire, shooting out sparks into the short grass. “But I do not know why mine worked. What was it about facing Galgom that let me unleash it without any impediments? Why is it that my Aspect showed itself without any conscious decision on my part?”

He shrugs and leans back on his arms. “I have always felt like my Aura is instinctual. It is not something anyone can force into existence. That is why it is not easily taught. You have found yours, so that doesn’t apply to you. That is why I believe understanding how it works can aid you.”

“Right.” I place a hand on my chin, staring at the faraway figures dancing around large fires, drinking to their heart's content. “That is why I am perplexed.”

“What do you mean?”

I finally turn back to face him, my lips pursing tightly together. “If your Aura is meant to be a manifestation of your desires, and my desires cannot draw it into my Aspect. Then, perhaps, there is a problem with my wants. Maybe—” I hesitate, feeling a hand clench into a fist.

I remember the words of Long.

We have tested your soul, and you have proven yourself… lacking.

“Maybe the reason I have been fighting for so long has not been my own.”

***

“There it is.” Nindran points ahead, past the many people gathered before us. I can see the peaking mountains ahead. Their rolling hills remind me of the Second Heaven. The ones ruled by Spirits.

I follow the finger of the azure-haired woman. It rests over the tallest mountain— one that almost juts out of the ground like a sword. At its base lies a city. It is not a large city by any means. Even Thornthistle dwarfs it in size.

There is no wall girdling its perimeter. The buildings are no higher than a single floor. Yet, despite its lackluster appearance, it has a certain charm to it. It feels cozy. Almost like the ramshackle hut I used to live in. Perhaps that is why it is called Crimsonhome.

I try to squint, see if I can make out any moving figure within the city, but I find no one is there. It is empty. Next to the city— wedged into the tall mountain standing in stark contrast to Crimsonhome— is an odd looking shape.

It looks like a shard from afar. A massive broken piece of glass. It cuts deep into the earth, with an almost reflective surface, like a mirror. However, as I get a better view of the object, I notice that it is not a thin thing, but a larger, wider structure. It can probably store thousands of people within it, although it seems quite damaged and bent in a few places.

“Galgom’s Hive,” Nindran says its name. “That is how Galgom arrived in Utana. He was confined within it. It protected him like a shell as he landed from the skies.” I cock my head as the words leave her mouth. “Or at least, that’s what I’ve heard. I was too young to even remember what happened back then. They say the violet sky turned into the color of Lifeblood. They thought it was a sign from the Pishtim. If it were a sign, maybe it was her cries for help, knowing what was to come.”

I stare at Nindran as her gaze sharpens. She glares daggers into the Hive, stuck on the side of the mountain. She does not say anything. She only notices me looking at her after a tenth of a cycle.

“W-what?” She blinks.

“It is nothing.” I shake my head. “I have never seen you this focused before.”

“Just ‘cuz I’m relaxed most of the time, doesn’t mean I don’t care about stuff!”

I smile. “I never said otherwise.”

Nindran flushes as I walk past her towards the Websmith. The last remaining guardian of Utana stands amongst some kwyer trees, almost far from the small army setting up camp. They keep a reverent distance from her. While some children occasionally approach her, the adults keep back unless absolutely necessary.

I nod at the giant spider, and she returns the gesture. “True night begins soon. The creatures of the dark shall leave the shadows. They will come like a deluge, filling the land like a flood.”

“Will that be a problem?”

“No,” she says, bending over to face me. “The monsters shall come, and I shall redirect their hunger to Galgom. It will only serve to our benefit.”

“A distraction then. Does Kalmat know about this?” I ask her, looking over at the man who is speaking with a few of the Keepers.

“I have made it known to him.” There is a clicking sound as the Websmith spins to face him as well. “I shall depart now and make preparations. When true night falls, you will not assault the Hive. You shall wait for the wave of monsters to come. Only then can our battle begin.”

Sure enough, the Websmith takes her leave. More than one person notices her departure. There is a slight susurration that ripples through the massive crowd. But the Keepers of the Grove manage to calm them down.

Seiled runs over to my side, a worried look on her face. “Where is the Websmith going?”

“She will be back. We just have to wait.” I explain the situation to him, and his eyes go round.

“An army of monsters… all on our side…” he whispers, voice small.

I peer at him— he seems to be both in awe and in a state of shock. It makes sense. He has only ever known monsters as a threat for his entire life. To have them fight alongside him sounds almost terrifying and exhilarating.

“They will not be on our side. We will just share a common enemy.” I place a hand on his shoulder. “Remember, the Websmith cannot control monsters. She can only give them vague directions. They are not our allies, but they will help us defeat Galgom.”

The boy steels himself. “Right.”

“We just have to wait,” I say, looking back over at Rubrum.

The red sun edges closer and closer to the horizon. It does not move noticeably, even when a cycle passes, but it is close to setting. We are not in a rush. This time can be used to rest and prepare ourselves.

The cheery atmosphere from a week ago disappears. It is replaced by a somber silence. Everyone gathers together, quietly eating and going about their activities. They are mentally preparing themselves, even as they go to sleep. It is the calm before the storm. The tempest will not be delicate. It shall strike hard.

Then they wake up, and Rubrum finally disappears, leaving the sky empty with only the traces of its light. Slowly, a dark veil falls upon the world. The mountains in the distance disappear from view, engulfed by a deep black void.

The kwyer trees surrounding us become a wall of shadows. Only the light from our kindled fires light up, keeping us warm and safe from the darkness. It encroaches on us. It threatens to swallow us. It is almost like when I first fell out of Jhisie. Even with my enhanced vision, I cannot pierce through the veil.

It is utterly dark. I blink, expending some Indigo Essence, and it brightens up. There is no color, but I can see now.

Seiled clings to my side, afraid. “Tian—”

I raise a hand, cutting him off. “Do you hear that?”

There is… a moaning. The ground rumbles. I can hear the shuffling of the leaves. The trampling of the grass. I narrow my eyes as I cast my gaze over past the kwyer forest. And I see a black mass, stampeding forward. It shakes the earth.

Everyone explodes into panic. Clusters upon clusters of Lifeblood gathers around us, but I do not prepare for battle. Kalmat bellows an order.

“Stand your ground!”

They listen. And the first of the monsters bursts into our light. A dog-like creature with six legs bounds forward. There is a scream. Someone falls over. But the monster continues. It leaps through the lit-up area, jumping back into the veil of shadows.

Taking a deep breath, I turn back to Kalmat and give him a nod. “It is time.”

And the other monsters appear. They rush around us like an avalanche, tumbling and crashing straight to Galgom’s Hive. An unstoppable force of nature, going to clash with the artificial machines of the immortal.

And we will follow after it.