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WITH THE SHIP PULLING away from the beach, William urged his horse up toward the top of the first dune, getting out of reach in case they wished to fire their cannon in parting.
"We're days from that port we were hoping to reach." he muttered in disgust as his wet boots slid through the sand.in disgust
"Which means they're also days away from reporting us." Daniel countered. "And longer before they can send people out to follow our trail."
William frowned at Daniel’s optimism but nodded acknowledgement.
"We might have four or five days head start on them then." he agreed. "Can either of you feel which direction we need to go?"
Though she could feel the relic’s pull, Rebecca shook her head, unable to give more than a vague direction. Daniel however, nodded slowly, an uncertain look crossing his face. Closing his eyes, his head turned into the breeze.
"There is a whisper on the wind about a relic north of here." he said slowly. "Perhaps a week's riding if we press on from sun-up to sundown."
Rebecca grimaced at the thought. Despite all the riding they had already done, she still did not look forward to more.
"The Relic you look for is close." Varya whispered. "Like you, I can feel it calling to me."
"But how close?" Rebecca muttered. "Daniel says a week but how can he be sure?"
A breeze swirled around her, carrying voices that answered her question.
"At the foot of the mountains is a trail that will lead you to where it hides."
Daniel glanced over his shoulder at her, a faint smile crossing his face.
"The wind tells me many things." he called back to her. "If they tell me it is a week's travel from here, I believe them."
Rebecca scowled and tugged on the reins, urging her horse to hurry up the dune.
The sandy dunes soon gave way to low rolling hills and solitary trees bent over by the coastal wind. The long grass rippled and swayed in the wind and for the first time Rebecca was glad of the scarf that the ridiculous religious laws required her to wear over her head, pulling it tighter as her hair tried to escape from its confines. She was also glad that the wind was at their backs, urging them along. She only hoped they would be able to find somewhere out of the wind once it came time to rest for the night. As the ship had dropped them at mid morning, it gave them plenty of time to put some miles between them and the shore before dark. Plenty of time to gain more bruises on my ass, she thought sourly as they continued riding beyond midday. William's concession to lunch was a handful of dried meat and cold water from a stream as they briefly rested their horses.
Alternately trotting and walking, they continued on until the sun was just touching the horizon. William reined in, turning to look at them as they let their tired horses stop with him.
"We stop here for the night and ride on at dawn." he told them. "Make sure you get a good night's sleep because we will have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Turning his attention to Rebecca, he raised an eyebrow at her and she nodded, knowing what he expected from her.
"I'll get the fire going." she agreed quickly.
By the time William had set wards around their far too open camp, the fire was going, burning through what little Rebecca had managed to scavenge from the grass. A few small dried out woody shrubs waited their turn to be tossed on the fire but other than that, there was nothing substantial to burn. William looked at the small fire but didn't comment as he set about pulling a frypan and cornmeal from his saddlebags.
"I could set these fields alight with a thought." Varya murmured in Rebecca's mind. "But even that would only be temporary. There is little enough to burn here."
"I could heat the pan myself?" Rebecca suggested tentatively.
"It would do you no good." Varya disagreed. "Every fireball you cast uses our essence. You would need to eat and I would need to rest to replenish what we use. What you would use to cook a meal would be more than what the meal would return to you."
Rebecca sighed unhappily and sat back against her saddle, resigning herself to watching William cook their dinner on the meagre fire.
It took three days for them to pass over the rolling hills. Three days of riding from sun up to sun down at either a walk or an easy canter. By the end of the third day Rebecca's only reaction to the low mountains ahead of them was an unimpressed grunt at the sight of them. The tallest of them had the faintest dusting of snow on their heads simply because it was the season for it rather than them being tall enough for permanent snow. She knew that come summer they would be as bare and uninspiring as the hills they had already crossed. What they did have in abundance were rocks, large black slabs that broke up the green grass they rose above, looking for all the world like a deck of cards that had been pushed over. Rebecca looked at them blankly when William stopped them for the evening, her thighs aching from the day's ride. Daniel reined in beside her, sliding from the saddle gracelessly. Reaching out to take her horse's bridle, he looked up at her with a crooked smile.
"I'm starting to wish I was still at home." he told her mournfully. "A nice warm fire, a comfortable bed."
"Not riding for hours." she added, easing herself from the saddle with a wince.
"We should find the path tomorrow." Daniel told her, his voice more hopeful than sure. "The mountains are not far and the path..."
"Is at their feet." Rebecca interrupted. "I remember."
Daniel nodded. Bending with a groan, he began untacking his horse. Loosening the saddle girth, the horse huffed at the release of pressure and dipped its head to snatch at the waving grass. Daniel did the least work needed to make the horse comfortable, dumping saddle, bridle and bags at his feet. Rummaging in his saddlebag, he pulled a comb out and began stroking it over the horse's neck and shoulder, working the sweat and dirt out of its coat. Rebecca had to smile as the horse leaned contentedly into each stroke, a smile that widened when her own horse nudged her in the back looking for the same treatment. Turning, she ran her hand down its nose.
"Alright." she murmured. "I was getting to you."
Sitting next to the tiny fire as the first stars began twinkling in the sky, Rebecca looked at the plain fare on her plate and wished for something other than cornbread and jerky, even though she knew there was nothing else. As he had every evening, William had cooked extra bread, putting it away for their lunch tomorrow. Picking at her food, Rebecca eventually set it aside with a sigh. William looked up at her questioningly and she shook her head.
“I guess I’m not really hungry.” she murmured to him. “I think I’ll get some sleep instead.”
Daniel was wrong about finding the path in the morning. With the wind guiding him, it took them until just before dark to find where the path began to climb the mountains. The faintest of tracks through the grass was all they had to follow and William wisely chose to wait until morning before they attempted it.
"We can't afford to lose it in the dark." he insisted when Daniel suggested they begin the climb. "It is almost dusk now. Can you be sure to follow that when the light begins to go?"
Daniel hesitated before grudgingly shaking his head. Dismounting, he looked up at William. "It will get better the further we follow it."
William shrugged. "We will have to wait until morning to find out. We've got a little time now, let's set camp and get some rest while we have the chance."
Dark had fallen and Rebecca once again picked at her plain fare. William watched her from the other side of the tiny fire, frowning at her listlessness.
"Is cornbread not to your liking?" he asked.
She looked up from her plate, a grimace on her face. "I don't feel like eating."
Putting her plate down, she stood and walked away from the fire toward where William had set the wards. Looking out across the night shrouded hills, she turned her face toward the star studded sky and breathed in the cool air. For most of the day she hadn't felt well, the constant riding wearing her down. Now she stared at the stars and listened to the wind whispering of wide spreads of moon drenched grassland and the tiny mice that warily nibbled at fallen seeds. It all seemed peaceful and she couldn't understand how the world didn't see the danger it was in.
"They are blind to the power that surrounds them." Varya said softly. "How could the creatures of the world continue on with their lives if they knew what loomed over them?"
"And yet here we are, carrying the burden for them." Rebecca murmured in reply. "The few that hold the world safe in the palms of our hands."
"And the world would thank you for it if they knew."
Rebecca scowled and kicked the dirt beneath her feet. "Not here they won't." she said in disgust. "Here they would rather put their faith in some god that either doesn't exist or doesn't care about them."
Varya didn't reply and Rebecca became aware of William standing a few steps behind her. Sighing in frustration, she dropped her gaze from the stars back to the dark hills.
"I don't know if their god exists." her father suddenly said behind her. "If He does then perhaps you're right and He doesn't care. But to them he is a source of reassurance and faith and that is enough for them to wage long and bloody wars. I doubt that it would be enough for them to defeat what is coming but if we cannot stop it, then they will raise armies to fight a holy war against the hordes of demons that are sure to run rampant across the world."
The switch-backed path wound up through the hills, eventually dropping over a ridge to follow the bed of a dry river valley. It finally brought them to a monastery, its crumbling walls standing over them, faded carvings half lost from the weather.
"This doesn't feel like a monastery." Daniel murmured quietly. "I can hear whispers of the Path on the wind."
Rebecca closed her eyes, lifting her face to the sun and feeling the cold breeze on her face. Slowly, she shook her head.
"It is, and it isn't." she said. "The One God is here but there are others hiding among them."
William and Katherine shared a look before he took Rebecca's arm and pulled her aside.
"We'll need to walk softly here." he told her when she looked at him. "With all the trouble we've had with the One God priests and their followers, I don't want to cause more trouble if it can be helped. If you think that the people are fanatics, believe me when I say that their priests are even more so."
Looking up at him, she searched his face for a sign of what to expect but his face was closed and gave nothing away. If he had had trouble with them in the past he had obviously put it to the back of his mind. The trouble she had caused by killing Trader Esava still lurked at the edge of her mind, his non stop talk of the One God and his unsubtle suggestions for her to convert lingering on as a bad memory. While it hadn't been her fault, the trouble on board the ship was even fresher in her mind and she nodded to him.
"I'll try to behave." she promised.
He nodded in return and let her go.
"Hopefully you're right." he muttered. "Hopefully there is something of the Path up there."
The gates to the monastery were open, not that there was any choice in the matter. Where heavy doors had once stood within a weathered stone archway carved from a spur of the mountain, there was now a gap in the surrounding wall that gave free access to a courtyard lined with stunted trees. The largest building stood against the north wall opposite them, its facade covered in ornately carved stone. Several smaller buildings pressed against the cliff that formed the western wall while the low wall of cut stone on the eastern side gave a view down the length of the valley they had just climbed. The sound of iron shod hooves on the cobbles brought a group of monks from a doorway in the cliff near the gate, all four dressed in long robes of heavy grey wool. The foremost monk raised a hand in greeting, striding ahead of the others to meet them.
"Welcome pilgrims, welcome. You must be tired from your journey so allow us to take care of your animals. I am sure you wish to see our temple straight away to offer thanks for your safe arrival but may I suggest taking a moment to clean yourselves up in the bath house first? The One God will be most understanding if you wish to make yourselves presentable for Him first."
Sliding from the saddle, William handed his reins to the monk, a brief tight smile crossing his face.
"I thank you for your hospitality but you are correct. Piety demands that we go to make our respects to the One God first before we attend to ourselves."
The monk bowed, a broad smile lighting his face in return as he took the reins from William. "Of course. The One God respects piety and loves those who put Him before all others." Sweeping his hand across the courtyard toward the large building against the north wall, he bowed again. "Our temple is not as grand as those in the great cities but you may rest assured that He will hear your prayers of thanks."
The inside of the temple was warm after the cold, the candles illuminating the small space guttering in the draught from the door. A priest looked up at their entry, a frown of curiosity crossing his face.
"Welcome pilgrims to our humble temple." he said softly, his voice echoing in the otherwise empty room. "You've come far in your journey to see us. Do you wish to pray to the One God in peace or would you like lodging and rest first?"
As she had outside, Rebecca kept her head bowed, frowning when she saw Katherine doing the same. The subservient custom irked her and she dearly wanted to speak for herself but as the elder male, William stepped forward and bowed to the priest.
"We thank you for your offer Father and we would like a moment of reflection before we take our rest."
The priest nodded and came down the aisle to them, pausing to take William's hands.
"Of course, pilgrim. Our temple is your sanctuary."
Moving on to Daniel, he took his hands with a faint smile.
"The One God lays his path at everyone's feet. Your path has led you here."
He released Daniel and faced Katherine and Rebecca.
"We welcome you to our temple. Please, be at ease within our sanctuary."
His eyes lingered on Rebecca, the corner of his mouth turned up and the look of curiosity returned.
"I won't keep you from your devotions any longer. Our Father Superior will be interested to meet four new pilgrims himself so I shall leave you in peace and inform him of your arrival."
Rebecca looked up as the priest's receding footsteps echoed through the chapel, quickly fading away as he passed through a creaking door and closed it behind him. There was something about him, something familiar and welcoming.
"He's not what I expected." William murmured, turning to Katherine. "Did you feel it as well?"
She nodded slowly, her eyes on the closed door. "Surely he can't be. Not here."
William turned his questioning look on Rebecca and Daniel and they both nodded as well. As he was better at listening to the whispers on the wind, it was Daniel who spoke.
"He is of the Water." he said softly, trying to keep his voice from echoing in the large chamber. "Surely you felt it better than I?" he asked Katherine.
The older woman nodded distractedly at the question, frowning as she thought.
"You did say you felt more than the One God here." she replied.
Rebecca and Daniel nodded again.
"There are others." Rebecca added, looking back over her shoulder at the doors. "Though the four outside were not."
Their conversation was interrupted as the door opened again, a young boy entering and closing the door again against the draught. Hurrying down the aisle to them, he skidded to a stop and bowed low so all they could see was the pale skin on top of his shaved head.
"Welcome." he said breathlessly, his voice high and childish. "Father Gregory asked me to guide you to your dormitory when you have finished your prayers."
Even though his head was bowed, Rebecca saw him cast a nervous glance in her direction. When he saw her watching him, he blushed and straightened, turning his eyes to William.
"We are done." her father answered. "And we would be glad of the rest if you would show us the way."
The boy's eyes skittered back to Rebecca as he nodded jerkily.
"Of course. Please...please follow me."
The young boy led them from the main temple to another low shabby building, his shaved head glowing in the weak sunlight. Opening the door for them, he openly stared at Rebecca in awe as she passed, his nervousness obviously being forgotten. His adoration made her blush and she smiled involuntarily as he followed her in.
"These are the guest quarters." he piped in his high voice. "Please make yourselves comfortable. Father Gregory will join you shortly."
Casting a last lingering glance at her, he scurried from the room and closed the door behind him.
"I wasn't expecting such a polite welcome." William muttered as he spotted his saddle bags on a narrow pallet. "There must be something going on that we've missed."
Daniel nodded distractedly, crossing the small room to where his own bags rested. The monks that had taken their horses had been remarkably efficient.
"Elementals." he muttered faintly. "Wind and stone and water."
William frowned at his vague answer.
"Do you feel another elemental here? Beyond the priest who first received us?"
Daniel shrugged and sat on the edge of a pallet. Lifting his chin toward the door he continued. "The boy, I think. Though he was hard to read."
William's look of surprise brought a tired smile to Daniel as he added. "I feel some and the wind tells me of more. But this is also a temple of the One God." He looked up in confusion. "How can that be?"
"There is much here that is not what it seems." William said slowly. "We should not expect too much."
"We need to find the relic." Rebecca said wearily. Collapsing onto a pallet, she added. "But where do we start looking?"
"We could always ask a priest." Daniel joked half heartedly. Seeing the glares that both Rebecca and William cast at him, he hurriedly went on. "Failing that, we start poking around ourselves."
Katherine abruptly sat on the edge of a bunk, frowning at the three of them.
"We rest first." she said firmly. "We have been travelling for days on end, we've been through enough close encounters. We have a bed for the night and a moment of time to rest."
When Rebecca opened her mouth to protest, Katherine turned her frown on her and raised a hand to forestall her.
"I know we are short of time, there is no need to remind me." she told Rebecca. "But driving ourselves into the ground will not help. A few hours of rest will do us all the world of good."
Rebecca was given reason to be grateful for Katherine's suggestion. With the chance to kick off her boots, she was soon asleep despite the lumpy pallet. When a knock at the door woke her, it took her a moment to realise where she was. The square of sunlight streaming through the small window had moved from low on the wall to the floor, enough to let her know that she had slept for a couple of hours at least. She stood as the door opened, her attention going to the small man dressed in a dark robe that entered. The fringe of white hair left around his balding head looked like fine snow against the lined and weathered skin. He offered them a warm smile as he bowed, his voice deep and strong.
"Welcome pilgrims. I am Father Gregory, the head of this humble monastery. I hope your lodgings are to your liking?" Looking around at them, his smile dimmed as he added ruefully, "In truth they are all we have. We do not get many visitors."
William bowed in return.
"They suit us fine Father."
Father Gregory let his eyes wander across the four of them, coming to rest on Rebecca. For several seconds his gaze lingered on her face, seemingly searching for something that they eventually found.
"I see that my acolyte was not wrong." he said softly.
Approaching her, he held his hands out. She was surprised to see that they were trembling when she hesitantly laid hers in his. Her surprise grew when he bent his head to kiss her fingers. His eyes glistened when he looked up at her again.
"It is an honour to meet you, Avatar."
They stared at him in disbelief, Katherine the first to find her voice.
"You know of the Path?"
Father Gregory released Rebecca's hands and nodded in amusement, rolling up his flowing sleeve to show a tattoo.
"I am a follower of the Path. A good number of the monks here are also followers, though few are of the Chosen."
He indicated for them to sit and folded his arms together inside his sleeves.
"We take in those of the blood who are not chosen, to protect them from falling to the Darkness. And that is a very real danger here. This country has long been under the sway of the One God and they have had centuries to root out those of the blood. They wished to eradicate us, believing we were the cause of all evil in the world. Many years ago our ancestors decided that it would be best to hide our true allegiance and those that were left went into hiding. This temple was erected as a cover and we have assumed the facade of being a devout monastery for centuries. We have been fighting the Darkness, as best we can, but I am ashamed to admit that it has been a losing battle."
His eyes slid to Rebecca and he nodded.
"I suspect I know why you've come." he said heavily. "I have been waiting months for your arrival. Ever since our Guardian began having visions of Darkness, we have had cause for hope. For she saw that a spark stood before the Darkness, one that refused to be extinguished. Because she has been diligent in recording her visions, we know what is coming and we will give you all the help we can. Our monks are defenceless against it so we must look to you to shoulder much of the load."
Gesturing for them to follow, he moved toward the door.
"If our Guardian is correct, we do not have much time. I will show you what I believe you are here for."
Father Gregory led them back across the courtyard to the temple, opening the door for them and leading them along the short nave toward the altar. Coming to a halt before the altar, he looked back toward the door and nodded to himself when he saw they were the only ones in the temple. Leading them off to the side of the nave, he opened the door to a small chapel.
"Please, inside quickly." he urged. "And close the door behind you."
Following the priest in, William held the door open long enough for them to enter before closing it. Father Gregory immediately swept aside a tapestry to reveal another door.
"This will lead us down into the catacombs. Many generations of monks have been laid to rest down here. Those of us that have been blessed with the touch of an elemental are taken down here to be cremated where the One God will not see. We have worked hard to keep our traditions alive, even if the One God believers will denounce us as sinners for burning our dead."
William nodded in understanding though a frown creased his face.
"You said this leads to the catacombs. There are tunnels here that lead deep into the mountain."
Father Gregory smiled, nodding slowly.
"Far and deep." he agreed. "And in the deeper reaches we hold many secrets."
The elderly priest led them through the dark tunnels, not hesitating at the turns and junctions they came across. From the moment they had stepped through the tapestry they had not said a word, following the priest and the candle lamp he had lit. In the flickering light, Rebecca caught glimpses of dark niches carved into the rock, many with old and dusty yellowed linen shrouds wrapped around long dead occupants. Knowing what they were made her shiver and she tried to keep her eyes on Katherine's back ahead of her. But every few minutes she would catch herself glancing at another darkened niche and its palely shrouded occupant. After half an hour Father Gregory slowed and made a last turn, stopping in front of an old door. Taking a key from his belt, he inserted it into the lock and turned it. The lock gave a soft click and the door opened at a gentle push, the hinges whisper quiet. Father Gregory beckoned them into the dark chamber beyond, waiting for them to enter before he closed the door behind them.
"Needless to say, what you see and hear in this place is not to go beyond these walls." he told them. "The acolytes would not understand."
William nodded.
"How have you managed to keep going like this, undetected?"
The priest passed them and knocked on a door on the opposite side of the room. The whisper of a draught made Daniel smile, a light whistle of recognition escaping him. The sound made Rebecca cock her head and look at the door thoughtfully as a voice called from the other side in surprise.
"You have guests for us Father?"
The door opened and a young woman peered out at them, her eyes coming to rest on Daniel joyfully.
"Welcome Brother. We are well met."
Throwing the door open, she rushed out to embrace him. His surprise was short lived and he tentatively returned the gesture.
"It is so nice to see another of Air." she murmured. "They are so rare."
Letting him go she turned to William and held out her hand.
"Iron we see more often. They come for the quiet our sanctuary can give."
William shook her hand before she moved on to Katherine.
"Water is welcome. Though I wish you would come more often in summer. There is only so much I can do to cool the valley."
She paused when she got to Rebecca, her confusion clear in her hesitation.
"I feel Fire, Father." she murmured. "But I also feel more."
She turned to Father Gregory, her eyebrow raised questioningly.
"I don't understand."
The elderly priest let his eyes wander slowly over Rebecca until he nodded shortly.
"Andras' work is not finished." he said sadly. "You have felt it coming and seen the visions. We hoped we were wrong but it would seem our hope was in vain."
The girl turned to Rebecca, her eyes wide as her hands reached out to take Rebecca's.
"Avatar." she breathed. "I am honoured to meet you."
Rebecca grimaced and shook her head.
"I have a long way to go before I can call myself that."
They were not kept waiting in the dark chamber for long, the girl opening the door and waving them into its well lit interior. Beyond the door was an antechamber, a table and a pallet in a niche carved into the wall, the only furniture. The girl coloured as they looked around.
"This is where I live." she mumbled in embarrassment. "I don't need much to be comfortable. It gets a bit lonely down here sometimes and I wouldn't mind having something to do to pass the time."
Father Gregory gently patted her shoulder.
"It is little enough and the same as we all have. But if you wish for more paper, or perhaps some canvas?"
He turned to them with a faint smile.
"We must hold to our disguise even in our comforts. The One God expects its adherents to eschew the trappings of comfort and embrace a simplistic life of frugal asceticism. Art and writing are some of the few things we can indulge in without seeming too immodest."
His last words were directed over his shoulder to the girl behind him and she rolled her eyes and smiled at them.
"I was chosen to become the Tomb Guardian for the simple reason that I have difficulty keeping to the role of a dutiful and subservient woman like the other nuns. They thought it would be better to hide me away where no one was likely to see me."
Father Gregory chuckled at her declaration, shaking his head.
"Now Adriana. That may be true but we also chose you for your abilities."
He turned to them, a smile lighting his face.
"We often get acolytes that like to wander these catacombs. Adriana hurries them along if they get too inquisitive. I have listened to many stories of lost souls and whispered voices haunting these rooms."
Adriana chuckled, ducking her head in embarrassment.
"I only do it if I can feel no connection to the Path from them."
Father Gregory sighed, his head drooping.
"Every year there are more and more of them."
His head rose, his eyes seeking out William's.
"The Blood runs thin these days and fewer make their way here. I dread the day when they come no longer."
"The Blood still runs strong in the New World." William told him. "The One God has not managed to carve too deeply into society, yet."
"I am glad to hear that.” Father Gregory sighed. “But while I would dearly like to hear news from across the sea, we tarry when we should not." He turned to Adriana. "You have the key to the Tomb?"
Fumbling at her belt, Adriana produced a key and held it up for the priest to see. He nodded and held a hand out toward the door in the far wall of the antechamber.
"If you could Adriana. We will need to see it."
Adriana nodded jerkily, snatching a quick sideways glance at Rebecca before hurrying to the door and unlocking it.
The tiny cavern beyond the door was dimly lit by candles, the air cool and dry. An alcove in the far wall held two clay jars, their stoppers sealed with wax. Beneath them rested a long and heavy spear, its fire hardened wooden shaft pristine despite its age.
"According to the stories Andras came here after defeating the demon, barely on his feet. The body of a boy was lashed to the back of a horse and this was the place where he cremated him."
Rebecca looked at the two jars and shuddered.
"You said there was a village here?" William asked.
Adriana nodded.
"There was a village of perhaps two dozen people a little way down the valley where the gorge opens up. There was an Earth carrier there that was drawn by Andras’ aura and helped raise the first temple."
Sweeping her arm around the cavern, she smiled slightly.
"He made this resting place for them. Andras charged him with protecting the Spear and this is where it has rested ever since."
Father Gregory's hand hovered over the Spear, his eyes roving over its unassuming length. Despite the closeness of his hand, Rebecca could see fear mixed in with the awe in his eyes.
"This is the reason we are here." he said softly, his eyes not leaving the Spear. "We have kept this Relic safe for the last two thousand years, through the most trying of times until now."
Adriana smiled indulgently and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"The Spear can take care of itself." she assured him. "You know as well as I the stories of the Spear incinerating those who have dared to touch it."
Father Gregory frowned at her but she continued on, looking at Rebecca and Katherine.
"It is thought that the Relics will choose who is worthy to hold them, that all others must pay a price for their arrogance. The Original Relics..."
She paused to glance back at the Spear.
"They have incredible power, far more than any one person could control. That so many of them have been lost is concerning but they have existed for millennia and are likely lost to time. After all, we don't even know where many of the New World Relics are and they are only a hundred years old. They may not be near as powerful but they are still potent weapons."
Katherine and Rebecca both glanced at William at the mention of New World Relics, a look that went unnoticed by Adriana as she turned back to Father Gregory.
"I am not convinced that the Spear actually needs protecting as much as people need protecting from it."
Father Gregory shook his head, a faint hint of weary amusement colouring his reply. "So you have tried to tell me, many times."
Adriana rolled her eyes and pointed to the urns that rested above the Spear. "They are why I protect this place, Father. The mortal remains of the last two men that fought the greatest Darkness the
world has ever seen deserve our respect and it is our duty to oversee their continued peaceful rest."
"I remember him and he has found his peace. She need not fear that."
William started at the slow voice in his mind.
"I walked with him to the Clearing to safeguard his soul along the Path. He was the first human I had seen and I found his soul to be beautiful."
William felt his elementals mixed joy and sorrow as it went on, the slow and measured cadence of its low voice soothing.
"He was unbonded and only marked in the moment before death, a child saved from the One God. I was young and one of the few who would guard his Path. I scorned my brethren for their disdain, for despite his fear he stood against the demons, ready to sacrifice his life to protect the Path. For that I judged him worthy."
Adriana continued talking to Katherine and Rebecca, unaware that William was no longer listening to her. His elemental wasn't one to talk needlessly and from its first statement, its story was far more interesting than the distant history Adriana seemed so excited about. His elemental continued, its melodiously deep voice warming in fond remembrance.
"His soul had so many questions and I allowed myself to prolong the journey even though to do so tempts the Darkness. His fear of going on to the Clearing was tempered by his curiosity to learn all he could of the Path. By the time we reached the Clearing I had answered his questions and dispelled his fear."
The sigh through William’s mind carried the weight of two millennia of regret.
"His place in the Clearing was assured and he welcomed it gladly. There are so few pure souls in this world and to have bonded with him would have been a pleasure."
A hand on his arm drew his attention and he looked down at Rebecca.
"Something on your mind?" she asked. "You look like you haven't heard a word Adriana has said."
William nodded gently, aware that only Rebecca had noticed his lapse in concentration, the others still listening to Adriana.
"I'm learning that the distant past is not so distant." he told her.
She raised an eyebrow questioningly and he gave her a faint smile.
"My Elemental carried the boy's soul to the clearing."
Adriana stopped in mid sentence at his soft declaration, her eyes widening as she stared at William.
"What did you say?"
William repeated his statement and Adriana reached blindly behind her for her chair, collapsing into it when her trembling hand found it.
"Surely not." she muttered breathlessly. "Not now. It is too much of a coincidence."
William shrugged. While it might well be coincidence that brought him and his elemental to this place, he couldn’t understand Adriana’s shocked disbelief.
"It is what it is." he told her.
She stared at him, flabbergasted by his easy dismissal.
"But...to be connected so intimately to a distant part of our history..." she stammered.
"Is to be expected." William told her evenly, cutting her off. "We are merely the mortal vessels within which the Elementals choose to reside. Our existence on this earth is only temporary while theirs is eternal. My Elemental safeguarded the boy's spirit along the Path, as it will mine when the time comes. Then it will choose another worthy soul to carry it after I am gone."
Adriana dropped her head into her hands, kneading her forehead as she tried to understand his simple acceptance of such an enormous piece of knowledge.
"We've never known the boy's name." she said faintly, lifting her gaze to William's hopefully. "Andras never knew, or if he did, he never told anyone."
William's elemental rolled through his mind, temporarily taking control to make itself heard.
"His name was Tristan and I claim him for the Granite."
They were silent for several seconds before Adriana smiled broadly, her hands reaching for the pouch at her waist and pulling a stick of charcoal and a small notebook from it.
“I need to write this down.” she mumbled excitedly. “So much history is being explained right now.” The stick of charcoal flew across the page and she looked up at William expectantly. “You must know more...or your elemental must, surely.”
William scowled at her.
“We don’t have time for that.” he growled. “If we survive the coming apocalypse, I’ll be sure to return long enough for you to write reams of notes.”
Adriana frowned, the notebook wavering in her hand.
“But there is so much we could lose if you don’t return.” she whined. “Think of what lost knowledge we could regain right now.”
“Think of the world we could lose if we waste any more time.” Rebecca snapped. “The Darkness will swallow the world if we don’t keep moving.”
They all looked at her in shocked silence. Rebecca didn’t notice them, her eyes had turned to the Spear. The faintest voice whispered in her mind, too low and soft for her to catch its words. She had an urge to reach out and take the Spear, to take it and bring it out into the light of day.
The shuffle of feet on the floor broke through her trance and Father Gregory moved between her and the Spear.
“You speak of the Darkness swallowing the world.” he said to her slowly. “Adriana has said the same thing, many times, during the last few months.”
Rebecca tore her eyes from the half hidden Spear to look at the young woman. Adriana nodded to her searching gaze.
“I have had visions of what is coming.” she confirmed. “Yet always I was only an outside spectator. I could see what was coming, yet could do nothing about it.” She looked at Father Gregory with a faint smile. “I was told it would not be my fate to stand against the evilness that comes. Except perhaps in direst need.”
“We waited, hoping that another would come to wield the Spear.” Father Gregory added. “But in these times of religious suppression, we believed it prudent to have another ready to carry the burden, just in case.”
Rebecca sighed, bowing her head. She would much rather never have been chosen for what was to come, but she could no longer deny it. The Spear called to her and she knew she had no choice but to answer.
“I am here now.” she told Father Gregory softly. “Whatever comes, I will carry the Spear against it, and I will defeat it.”
Father Gregory looked at her doubtfully, keeping his body between Rebecca and the Spear.
"We know what is coming." he said slowly. "But this is a new world. The One God fanatics have searched for this relic for centuries, bent on destroying it forever. If you take it from this sanctuary then you take it from the only protection it has."
Rebecca smiled softly at the old man, raising a hand in front of him. His eyes were drawn to her hand and a faint smile of his own appeared at the filament of fine flames that danced across her palm and up to her fingertips.
"I know you are of the Flame." he murmured, entranced by the filaments. "But what hope do you have of carrying this relic safely through the country of my unlearned brothers? You would have to keep it hidden until it is needed."
"I will not hide." Rebecca told him firmly. "The time to remain hidden is past. This demon comes for us and I fear we will be too late to stop it."
Father Gregory shuddered and tore his gaze from the flames in her hand up to her face, doubt and fear playing across his weathered features.
"They will hunt you down the moment they see this relic." he murmured. "Do you want to be hunted for the rest of your days?"
Rebecca understood his reluctance to let the Spear leave the monastery. They had kept it safe for two millennia and Father Gregory did not want to be the one to see it lost, despite seeing the need. Her smile turned brittle and she nodded jerkily.
"If that is what it takes to defeat this threat, then yes, I can accept that."
Father Gregory held her gaze for several seconds before nodding wearily and stepping aside so Rebecca could take his place in front of the Spear. Reaching out, she hesitated, her hand hovering an inch above the worn wooden shaft.
"You are meant to take it" Varya assured her. "It will accept you the moment you lay your hand on it."
Taking a deep steadying breath, Rebecca closed her eyes and slowly stretched the last inch to rest her palm on the Relic.
The moment her skin made contact with it, an electric thrill tingled through her hand and up her arm.
"It is time." a new voice thundered through her mind, the force of it making her grimace in pain. "And beyond time. My foe approaches."
"Rebecca?"
Daniel's soft voice at her shoulder gave her something to focus on as a sensation of vast, barely contained heat coursed through her veins. She reached out her free hand, and he took it without hesitation. The voice thundered in her head again, her hand trembling in Daniel's as it reverberated against the inside of her skull.
"Rebecca of the Char." it boomed. "We must hurry before it is too late."
A series of images flashed through her mind, hundreds of them blurring by and yet each left itself perfectly imprinted on her. In moments she grasped what the Relic was showing her and she groaned as it stopped at a final view of a temple set high on a lone hill.
"The temple is a week away." she panted in dismay, opening her eyes to look at Daniel. "The demon is coming and we have so little time left."
"Do not tarry, Rebecca of the Char. Bring me to meet my enemy."
The elemental's last instruction drove all sensation from her body, leaving her numb as its power suddenly left her. She staggered, only Daniel's hands around her waist stopping her from falling. As feeling slowly returned, Rebecca felt something warm dripping over her lip. Reaching up a shaking hand she brushed it away, horrified to see her hand come away bloody.
"This cannot end well." Daniel murmured.
Father Gregory was the first to kneel in front of her when she managed to stand on her own. Adriana wasn't far behind, both of them bowing their heads. Rebecca stared at them in bewilderment, her gaze turning to her father in search of help. Instead she saw him shrug and bend into a low formal bow, Katherine following suit when Rebecca's eyes turned to her. Turning to Daniel, she was dismayed to find that he too was bowing.
"Please, stand up." she said, her voice hoarse as a lump formed in her throat. "Please, you don't need to do this."
Father Gregory looked up at her, his eyes shining as he remained on his knees.
"Of course we do, Avatar." he declared. "You have been chosen to wield the Spear against the oldest enemy the world has faced. And for that we must pay our due respect."
Gently laying the Spear back into its alcove, Rebecca staggered to where William bowed and took his shoulders.
"You shouldn't bow to me." she told him, shaking his shoulders roughly. "You're four hundred years old and have seen so much more than me, done so much more. You're my father, I should respect you. I do respect you."
William smiled and straightened, resting his calloused hands on her shoulders. "I may be four hundred years old but I wasn't the one chosen for this."
Lifting his chin toward the Spear, his smile dimmed. "That is a Relic that will always be beyond me. Even from here I can feel that it was born of Fire and you have already proved that you can wield it."
Squeezing her shoulders gently, his gaze returned to hers, his grey eyes boring deeply into her own blue. "Fire has called and Fire has answered. Perhaps this time the demon will be banished permanently."
Rebecca shook her head in denial, stepping away from him.
"You carry a Relic yourself. Why should this be any different?"
"You have a Relic?" Adriana interjected in surprise. "Surely with two of the Old Relics the demon will stand no chance."
William frowned at her, his look making her excitement fade.
"I carry a rifle, imbued with the shard of an Earth Elemental. It does not carry the power of an Old Relic, though it is powerful enough for my own purposes."
Adriana got to her feet, her excitement returning. This time William's sour look couldn't quell it and she crossed the room to him.
"One of the New World Relics?" she asked breathlessly. "They were thought to be lost already."
Her hand strayed to the pouch at her waist again, her fingers itching to dive into it for her notebook once more.
"They are only lost to the Old World." William returned shortly. "We do not speak of their location as the One God priests would destroy them if they could. They are slowly becoming more than a mere nuisance in the New World."
Father Gregory cleared his throat, drawing their attention as he slowly got to his feet.
"We are losing sight of what matters." he said firmly, glancing at Adriana with a frown. "Instead, let us give Miss Rebecca the attention she deserves."
He turned to Rebecca with a warm smile, raising his arms so that his sleeves fell back to reveal his tattoo.
"The Path has given us our Avatar and brought her to the Weapon she will need. Let the Path hear our blessing of good fortune upon her and her mission, that it may guide her and give her the strength needed to fulfil that mission."
He let his arms fall and came to stand in front of her. From within the folds of his robe he drew a short knife and pricked his tattoo, drawing a bead of blood on its blade. Holding the blade out to her, he gestured for her to take it.
"My Blood may be weak but it is true." he murmured as her hand wrapped around the worn hilt. "I give it willingly for the Path so that it may be preserved."
Stepping aside, his place was promptly taken by Adriana. She bared the tattoo on her wrist and looked at Rebecca expectantly. With reluctance, Rebecca placed the tip of the knife against Adriana's wrist and pushed just hard enough for the point to break the skin and draw a drop of blood.
"I give my blood willingly for the Path." Adriana spoke clearly. "So that it may be preserved."
Katherine and Daniel followed, giving a drop of blood in turn and repeating the words. William was the last to stand in front of her and he allowed her to prick his wrist.
"My Blood is old." he told her. "Old and true, traced through the centuries to the First Families. I give it willingly for the Path so that it may be preserved."
Adriana chuckled softly from where she stood beside Father Gregory, shaking her head in disbelief as she stared at William. "First Families?" she murmured. "You are certainly full of surprises. You’d better come back after this."
Rebecca didn't understand the significance but gathered that it meant something important. William didn't turn to look at Adriana but Rebecca saw him roll his eyes at the comment. With the bloody knife in her hand, she looked at him for guidance.
"A drop of your own." he muttered. "Then I will complete the blessing."
Turning the knife to her own wrist, she quickly nicked her tattoo and caught the blood that welled to the surface.
"I give my blood willingly for the Path." she began to recite. Her tongue suddenly locked up and the euphoria of being drawn into the elementals flowed over her. She felt them take control and didn't try to fight it as they spoke through her, her voice redolent with their power as it rolled across the room.
"Through us shall the Path be preserved from the Darkness, now and for all time."
Rebecca woke to find herself lying on a pallet in the guest quarters. The silence in the room felt heavy and she opened her eyes, wincing at the low lantern light. When they became accustomed to the soft glow, she gingerly sat up and looked around the room, surprised that she was by herself.
"I am sorry." Varya whispered in her mind. "He has not shared a mind with a mortal in two millennia and has forgotten how fragile humans are."
"It wasn't just him." Rebecca groaned, feeling her head begin to pound. "There were so many voices speaking through mine."
"Yes." Varya admitted. "But his was the voice that burned you out."
Rebecca sighed, collapsing back on the pallet. Her head felt as though something had come through and hollowed it out, filling the void with mouldy straw.
"How long?" she murmured, wincing again at the sound of her own voice.
"It is night outside." Varya answered. "Only a few hours past sunset."
Trying to get her sluggish mind to work, Rebecca grimaced and pushed herself upright again. As the room revolved around her, she took a minute to breathe, closing her eyes tightly.
"Can someone let Daniel know that I am awake." she murmured. "Tell him that one of my fathers remedies might be needed."
The air in the room moved, a voice on the breeze whispering past her ear.
"As you wish, Avatar."
Five minutes later William knocked softly and opened the door, looking in at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I heard you were after one of my remedies." he said with some amusement. "You're starting to see that they actually work?"
Rebecca scowled at him.
"I hope you brought water with it." she grumbled.
William nodded and held out two cups.
"When you're done, Father Gregory wants a word with us." he told her, handing her the first cup. "We've got tonight to rest and then we'll be off again first thing."
Rebecca groaned, staring down into the treacle dark liquid inside the cup.
"Rest." she muttered in frustration. "That's all I want."
Bringing the cup to her lips, she gulped it down hurriedly, reaching for the second cup before she had finished the first.
"A rest would be good." William agreed. "But it would seem that we are not destined to get one until the job is done."
The remedy had barely had time to take effect when Rebecca followed her father into a chamber on the other side of the monastery. Father Gregory and Adriana were both there waiting for them with Katherine and Daniel. Katherine raised an eyebrow at Rebecca when she looked at her, Rebecca grimacing in reply. The wordless exchange was enough for Katherine to nod understandingly and pat the wooden bench beside her. Father Gregory began the moment the door closed.
"I am sorry to say that the way you must take now is one that is not suitable for horses."
William frowned at the pronouncement from the priest. "We go on foot?" he asked.
"Yes, unfortunately." Father Gregory replied. Turning to the shelves that lined one wall of the chamber, he withdrew a rolled parchment from the dozens that filled every inch of the wall and laid the scroll on the table. "To take a road suitable for riding you would have to go back down the valley and ride four days east of here to find the nearest open pass."
"These mountains are not that high." Rebecca protested, easing herself off the bench she had just sat on and crossing to the table to look at the scroll. Riding for several days didn't appeal to her but walking the rest of the way sounded worse.
Father Gregory nodded to her, a faint smile crossing his features as he unrolled the parchment to reveal a map. "That is true." he admitted. "But they are more treacherous than you may think."
Pointing to a small illustration on the map, he drew their attention. "This is our home here." His finger trailed down the road they had come up and then turned to follow the base of the mountains. "This is the path you would take to cross the mountains if you were to ride."
Rebecca frowned when she saw how far out of their way the path wound. On the map she could see another illustration beyond the mountains and she tapped it. "This is where we want to go?" she asked, looking up at the priest.
He nodded quickly. "That is the Shrine of Saint Tomaias. The description Daniel has given me fits it well."
The distance between the monastery and the shrine did not look far on the map but from the images the Elemental had imprinted on her mind, Rebecca had an idea that the way would be rough. Father Gregory confirmed her fear, his finger tracing the short distance.
"There are many blind gorges and crevices along this path. Taking a wrong turn could leave you hopelessly lost, wandering the mountains until your food and water run out."
Turning from the table, he went to the shelves again and took out another scroll. Laying it on the table, Rebecca held the corners as he unrolled another map. The detail of this one was much finer and Rebecca traced a finger over the inked contours of the surrounding mountains. Father Gregory followed the path of her finger silently until it reached the edge of the map.
“I do not need to show you the path, do I.” he said quietly.
Rebecca hesitated, then shook her head. “The Elemental within the Spear showed me the path and the landmarks I need to watch for.” she told him. “But perhaps it would be best for you to tell us anyway. Who knows how much has changed in the last two thousand years.”
