Moirai

The next few days brought us closer to the edge of the forest. Once we left the trees, we would be a day’s ride from Druge. With each step, my heart grew heavier. Now that the issue of Mayran was out of the way – much to all of our relief, from what I could see – my mind seemed unable to focus on anything other than Indina. I saw her face all night in my dreams, and even during the day my mind played tricks on me. I would see flashes of her; a glimpse of a red eye, or a flutter of a grey dress. Once, I swore I heard her voice on the wind.

My throat grew tight and my stomach clenched with the anxiety that grew worse by the hour. I began skipping meals, depsite Mayran and Loni’s disapproval, and was quiet most of the day. Both would often try to engage me in conversation, only to have to force me out of my thoughts, or receive little response. I didn’t mean to make them worry.

My lack of eating wasn’t for lack of appetite, but as soon as I would have a mouthful I would instantly feel ill and barely be able to swallow it, before coming up with some excuse that I knew neither of them bought. When I would wake in the middle of the night, I made the effort not to make a sound despite the fear left over from the dreams. I worried them enough.

But on our third night since leaving Flowerage, after hearing Mayran comment that we had only one more day in the forest, my dreams were the worst yet. Indina no longer threatened, or taunted. She had learned that I would only convince myself to ignore those tactics.

The dream began in the same place as most of the others; I stood on a large, flat stone that rose gently out of a stream, while she stood on another several metres away. She never explained why it was always the same setting, and I most definitely didn’t want to get into a conversation about it.

For a long while she merely stared at me. Her eyes seemed to bore into my very being, filling my entire body with an iciness that rooted me to the spot. I wanted to look away, to try and regain some semblance of bravery and control over my own night time imaginings, but her gaze held me.

“I have everything prepared.” She told me richly, and the ice melted a tiny bit. A strange and intense hunger and fire blazed in her eyes that terrified me. “You will be most welcome, and your friends even more so.”

What did she mean by that? What was she going to do to Mayran and Loni? I had asked them earlier that day to stay behind while I went on to Druge, despite my decision to do otherwise in Flowerage, but both had insisted on accompanying me. I knew it would be pointless to bring up the matter again...unless I told them about this dream.

As if knowing what I was thinking, she smiled widely, showing all the teeth it was possible to show with a smile. Her voice started up again, but the smile never wavered. In whispers, her words reached my ears, lavishing me with compliments, saying how she couldn’t wait to receive me as her guest. None of it made me feel comfortable. With each word I only felt the fear building to an almost unmanageable level. I had to break out of her dream if I could. I started trying and, if possible, her smile widened.

“Only two more days now, Alnya, before you and I can conclude our game.”

I couldn’t bear it. I wrenched myself from the dream, sitting bolt upright in the bedroll and gasping wildly, half expecting her to step out from behind a tree and strike me dead then and there. My clothes were sticking to my skin with perspiration; my heart was pounding so loudly in my ears that I wondered if it would tear through my chest. I felt like a cornered animal, bound on one side by fate, and the other by Indina. No matter which way I turned, I had only one choice.

I didn’t even register that had woken the others until suddenly they were there both there, two sets of arms wrapping around me. More whispered words, but these were words of comfort, warmly delivered by friends’ voices.

Slowly, my breathing and heart calmed. The fear lessened somewhat. The dark figures around me that my mind saw as Erkings and other monstrosities transformed back into shadows.

Wiping my eyes of sleep, I shifted to let Mayran and Loni know that I had calmed down. They pulled back, and two identically concerned faces met me.

I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to accompany me on this journey.

“I should have known that Indina would be sending you more dreams the closer we got to Druge.” Mayran said. “Is this the first since Flowerage?”

I sighed, knowing that I could not lie. “No.”

I felt a rush of gratitude when Mayran did not chastise me for hiding the dreams. “Why don’t you tell us about them now.”

“It might help, Alnya.” Loni agreed, rubbing my back soothingly.

They would not wait until morning, but Loni insisted on getting some food into me. I still didn’t feel hungry, but I knew that all she wanted was to help so I obediently took the bowl she placed in my hands, full of the broth she had made for supper. What her and Mayran could do with what appeared to be a pile of random ingredients that didn’t particularly look edible amazed me. Perhaps Mayran used his aura...I would have to ask, it would be a very useful skill.

It was hard to swallow, but my body seemed to register and react to the fact that I was actually eating after so long. Before I knew it, the bowl was empty and I was asking for some more. Loni refilled it, and I then spent the next half an hour telling them both of my dreams about Indina. Well, my dreams that Indina appeared in.

Mayran’s face got more and more horrified upon hearing the quantity and nature of the dreams and Loni, who had taken my hand in both of hers when I started talking, squeezed them tighter, her own expression scared. When I finished describing the last dream – the one that had woken me up – I once again felt the chills of fear crawling up my spine, and my stomach clenched.

Mayran took a deep breath. “I know exactly what she is doing to you. This overwhelming fear that you feel in the dreams is her aura, spreading throughout your mind, poisoning it, slowly driving you mad. I have seen her do it to others. She is hoping that by the time you reach Druge, you will be too terrified to put up any sort of fight. What you must do, Alnya, is ignore it. Use your own aura if you must, but do whatever you can to keep it from bothering you.”

“I agree.” Loni added. “I do not know much of what Indina is capable of, but I can see how you have gone quiet, hardly eat and just look…a shadow of yourself.” She looked down. “These last few days, I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.”

I reached out and embraced her, the emotion of the night threatening bring tears to my eyes. I knew that what was happening to me affected her, but I hadn’t understood to what degree.

“I’m sorry. I should have spoken about it before tonight.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Mayran corrected. “The point is, you have now.”

I looked over at him across Loni’s shoulder, trying to convey my gratitude for his advice and care. It was a strange thing; I hadn’t had a lot of space in my head to think about Mayran the way I had been during the time in Flowerage. Whenever my thoughts had wandered towards him, it had been regarding all of the things he had told us. Now, I remembered something of what I felt and, for the first time in days, a genuine smile grew across my face. He smiled back.

Soon, I was ordered back to sleep by Loni, though she insisted on moving her bedroll next to mine in case I had another dream. I got the feeling, from a few side looks he gave, that Mayran would have also offered, but refrained.

Of course, any good friend would have offered the same.

*~*~*

The next day found us mostly back to normal. My sleep had been peaceful for the rest of the night, leaving me in a much better mood than the previous day. I ate breakfast, willingly, and didn’t have to make an effort to join in with conversation. However, I also didn’t try to hide the nerves that certainly hadn’t vanished. I knew that they wouldn’t now, until all of this was over, and I think Mayran and Loni understood that nothing they said would change it.

We all knew that I was either going to my death, or Indina’s. I still wasn’t certain which outcome it would be, but after thinking about the dreams again I did realise that Mayran was at least partially correct when he said she was afraid of me. After all, if she was fully confident in herself, she wouldn’t have needed to frighten me.

Mayran and Loni were scared, too. I could see it in the nervous way Loni glanced around, in the steady hand Mayran almost constantly kept on his sword. I was wearing mine in a belt around my waist. The dagger that the Praesul had given me was there, too. Still, I had to get Indina in a vulnerable position before I could strike a killing blow – the thought of which horrified me more than the dreams – and a sword would make that impossible job easier.

However, underneath all the doubts, I was surprised to find a strength growing. Something new. It wasn’t the same as the determination I felt when sitting an exam, or going into a tennis match. It made the fear bearable. It kept me from turning my horse around and galloping off back to Nerome, back home; from throwing the whole thing away. For the first time in my life, daunting as it was, I had been given the responsibility of something far bigger than myself. Wasn’t that what I had read about in novels since a child, and always dreamed of? Now I had the chance to live those dreams, and even if I died trying, I knew I would make the characters of those books proud.

We stopped for lunch in a small clearing near the edge of the forest. There were several freshwater pools scattered throughout the clearing, ranging in size from a few feet to several metres wide. We had seen other pools as we had neared the clearing, but this seemed to be a sort of concentration of them. I couldn’t figure out why. Something made me wonder if they were entirely natural.

While taking my turn to organise the food – of which there wasn’t much to do, as our midday meals consisted of bread, cheese and the tasty relish the Dryads had given us – I heard splashing sounds from the pool nearest me.

I turned, but whatever it was, all that was left was a ripple. I figured it must be some sort of fish. I returned my attention to the food, but the instant I looked away I heard it again. Soft splashing, like someone walking through the water. But looking around once again, I saw nothing, except the ripples were a bit closer to me.

I stood up and walked over to the edge of the pool, which was about four metres across, holding a hand up to hold back the others’ questions. Kneeling down and peering over the edge, I tried to see if there were any fish under the water.

Suddenly something sprang up from the pool. I threw myself back with a cry of surprise, looking up to find a figure staring down at me with a half-apprehensive, half-curious expression on her face.

She somewhat resembled a Dryad in size and body shape, but her skin was pale, so much so that it was almost see-through. Her hair was white-blonde, but when she shifted her weight parts of it morphed before my eyes to resemble a mirror; not smooth and flat, but as though each strand of hair was made of reflective glass. She wore very little clothing that looked as though it had been sewn out of water-plants and her feet were bare.

Other than the Praesul, she was the most ethereal and fantastical person I had ever seen.

“Why are you trespassing near our pools?” she demanded harshly, her voice reminding me of the harsh strength of river rapids.

“A Naiad.” I heard Mayran whisper. The name rang a bell somewhere. Then I remembered that Naiads, in Greek Mythology, were the sort of opposite to Dryads; freshwater nymphs.

“Yes, I am a Naiad. My name is Sauria, and this is my family’s pool. What are you doing here?” she asked again, now addressing the question to Mayran. I suddenly realised that in her hand she held what appeared to be a dagger carved out of stone.

“We did not mean to trespass.” Mayran said quickly, walking over to her. I scrambled to my feet, thinking what a fool I looked. “We are on our way to Druge. We are trying to rid Renenta of Indina.”

At these words, Sauria’s eyes widened, revealing eyes the watery blue of the pool behind her. “If this is the case, then you must come and speak with our King.”

She wandered over to the largest pool, the one that was roughly ten metres wide. Stepping one elegant foot out, she walked to the centre…only, she walked over the top of the water, as though it were made of glass. I gaped at her.

“Come.” She beckoned. Mayran was the first to obey, but Sauria held up her hand. “Her only.” She said sharply, indicating me. I looked back at Loni and Mayran. The latter nodded reassuringly, leaving me no choice but to follow Sauria onto the water. The surface was cold and the soles of my shoes did get wet, but I did not sink into what should have been nothing other than liquid water. When we were all standing around Sauria, she instructed us all to hold hands in a ring.

“Hold your breath.” Sauria murmured. I had just enough time to do so, before the solidness under my feet vanished and I plummeted.

I was instantly surrounded by water and some sort of strange force was pulling me downwards much deeper than I thought the pool could be. My grip on Sauria’s hand did not waver, as though there was glue keeping the skin in contact.

The pressure built at an alarming rate and I squeezed my eyes shut. I needed to breathe. Every instinct was telling me to let go and claw my way back to the surface. As a Naiad, did Sauria know that humans couldn’t breathe underwater? I risked opening my eyes to look at her, but she nodded at me calmly.

We continued descending. Just when I thought I could hold my breath no longer and my head was about to explode, my feet broke through a barrier into air.

I dropped for several more seconds onto a dry sandy floor, which luckily broke the fall, before gulping huge breaths into my starved lungs, the process frequently broken by bouts of coughing. Once recovered, I pushed myself to my feet and stared around.

We were standing inside what, as far as I could tell, was a gigantic bubble encompassing what could only be described as an underground town. The buildings nearest to me were carved out of stone and were quite plain, except for decoration in the form of water plants and fresh-water shells. Sauria tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around to be faced with a much bigger building. It wasn’t exactly a palace, although I surmised that was what the builder was aiming for, but it was absolutely stunning.

It was made entirely out of pearl.

Sauria allowed me nearly a minute of gaping at the building in wonder before taking me by the hand once again and leading me towards it.

“Welcome to Scyllia.” She said as we grew nearer to the entrance. “You are the first human to visit this place in half a century. My King has been waiting for you.”

She fell silent as we continued through corridor after corridor. The interior walls were all pearl as well and I felt rather dazzled by their shimmery glow. I couldn’t pinpoint what the light-source was, because it seemed to come from within the walls themselves.

Finally, we stopped before a large opening closed off by a curtain of hanging seaweed. Two male Naiads guarded the entrance. I felt like I’d walked into Atlantis.

“We require an audience with the King.” Sauria said. The guards clearly recognised her, for they stepped aside and let her pass with only a curious glance in my direction.

The throne room was smaller than I expected, containing only a small empty space leading to the throne itself which, like everything else so far, was carved out of pearl. I figured some sort of magic was at work here; there was no way that any amount of clams could produce enough pearl for the entire building.

Sauria knelt before the throne and, not wanting to offend anyone, I copied her movements.

“King Nardien, I bring before you the Moirai, the one who was prophesised by the Dryad, Kasanda.” Sauria announced. It was the first time someone besides Loni had referred to me as such, and I briefly flashed back to that day so long ago at home, the book sitting in front of me...

I had half been expecting a merman, but King Nardien looked quite similar to Sauria herself, just male. As well as the mirror-like hair, he also had a long beard that reached down past his chest. The only sign of his authority was his shell crown resting atop his head.

He stared down at me with that detached interest that outer-world politicians usually used. “Know that your courage in accepting the responsibility laid upon you by fate is appreciated and admired by the Naiads.”

I dipped my head respectfully. “Thank you, your Majesty.”

“Know also this:” He added. “Trusting Dryads is a dangerous business. I do not doubt the prophecy, considering its import. However, do not believe that they are telling you everything. Kasanda has been known to withhold information if she deems it necessary.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

He remained cryptic. “Your existence has been known in Renenta since your birth. There is much that you do not know.”

“Like what?”

He shook his head. “It is not my place to tell you. I wish you luck against Indina. Our wellbeing rests on your shoulders.”

With that he turned away and said no more.

“That was it?” I demanded to Sauria as we left. “You brought me down here for him to tell me that there are things I should know...but that he won’t tell me?”

Sauria’s eyes turned sharp. “He warned you of something that you would not have thought of otherwise. Be grateful of that.”

I fell silent as we rose back to the surface. Sauria left me a few metres from the top, forcing me to swim the rest of the way. Gasping and spluttering, I crawled back onto dry land.

“Well that wasn’t quite what I expec...” The words died on my lips as I looked around. Loni lay on the ground, unconscious, and...

Mayran was gone.