After going days without sleep, Von awoke from a lengthy rest and slowly sat upright on the plush black couch at the far end of the safe room. Being in isolation with no windows to the outside, he came to rely on the state of the wood burning in the fireplace to gauge the passage of time. As he looked upon the blackened, ashy logs and their subtle glow beneath the gentle flames, he gathered it was morning.
Von’s skill with the Delavine Crystal was nearing perfection with the assistance of Navaryn’s amplifiers, though the prolonged use was taxing on his body. Yet, no matter how impeccable his skill had become, he was tested by a peculiar anomaly caused by Rayshell and Trish’s charmed necklaces. Having not witnessed the moment as it happened, he had no explanation for why he could no longer latch onto the energy of either of the human girls. Without the tether, his efforts to stay apprised of their whereabouts were now manual. As their schedule was somewhat consistent and there were only a handful of places for them to be throughout the day, he at least knew where to expect them for the most part. Regardless, he struggled to fight through the obstacles, though Claymar cautioned against overexerting himself; a warning that went unheeded.
Pushing through the grogginess from his slumber, Von walked toward the pantry dressed only in heavy dark brown pants. As he cleared the haziness from his eyes, he noticed a bright orange glow ahead of him. At first, he thought something in the room had caught fire, but then he discerned the familiar blazing figure standing by the obsidian table.
“You’re early today, Aalrija,” said Von.
“Ah, you’re awake,” she said as she turned around.
Present in her fiery elemental state, Aalrija had meandered near the fireplace while Von slept, looking at the tall decorated walls. She was in casual attire, which was somewhat unusual, and appeared more relaxed than she had been in several months.
“Been waiting long?” asked Von.
“No, not very,” she replied. “I hadn’t the heart to wake you, though I would have had to if the fire had gotten any weaker.”
Von added a few more logs to the fireplace, then asked, “What brings you here?”
“I was just enjoying the quiet, is all.”
“I don’t blame you. I’d also need a getaway from my constituents if I were you.”
Aalrija chuckled lightly. “Yes, well, Benson called off this morning’s meeting, which is fine. It’s not like anything gets accomplished during those anymore.”
“Ah, that’s why you’re not all dressed up.”
While Aalrija examined her projection, Von chuckled and filled a bowl with fruit from the pantry. The firelight accentuated the chiseled features of his torso as he started in her direction.
“You look, um, rested,” said Aalrija as she cleared her throat. “Would you mind perhaps putting on a shirt?”
“As you wish,” Von replied with a smirk. “Feel free to have a seat.”
Relieved that her fiery apparition hid her blushing cheeks, Aalrija sat at the obsidian table. Von set the bowl down, walked over to the trunk by the couch, and shuffled through some spare threads.
“Where’s Claymar?”
“Last I checked, he was wrestling around with Onyx.”
“Wrestling. With a dragon. In his condition?” said Aalrija, baffled.
Von shrugged. “He has his ways of regaining his strength.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever truly understand Daeva.”
“Me neither,” Von jested. “Anyway, they’re probably both asleep in the cave.”
Peeking out from behind the couch, Claymar chimed, “I’m sure you’d prefer that, wouldn’t you?” then extended his arms in a stretch.
“Really, Clay? Of all the places you can sleep, that’s where you ended up?” Von answered.
With a sly grin, Claymar rose to his feet in the buff and stood behind the couch with the headrest barely covering his groin. He placed his hands on his hips and turned his smirking face to Von. “I just wanted to be close to you,” he replied with pursed lips before he broke into laughter.
Von managed to crack a small smile at Claymar’s playful remark as he closed his trunk. Aalrija poorly hid the embarrassment on her face behind her hand, but was more amused than anything else.
“What? I happen to like the floor, okay?” Claymar continued, “Makes me feel … grounded.”
“Just put some clothes on.”
Claymar’s presence brought a lightheartedness to the safe room that Von appreciated. The effects of Merisek’s concoctions had waned, and he steadily continued to recover. However, his sarcasm and witty sense of humor never left him through his tribulations, which Von was reluctantly thankful for. Having a friend’s company proved more than beneficial for both of them during such a dark and uncertain time.
As Claymar knelt behind the couch to dress, Von returned his attention to Aalrija. “How is Kumiko faring with the host?” he asked.
“So far, so good, I think,” she replied. “Creating a tether to the boy you found had its challenges, but Kumiko managed.”
“That’s good news,” said Von as he slipped on a black overshirt, leaving it unbuttoned.
“I must say I’m surprised at your choice of subject.”
“Why?” said Von as he returned to the table. “Because the boy appears to be in love with Rayshell?”
“Well, yes. Given Kumiko’s history with Navaryn, if you don’t mind me saying, the choice seems rather odd.”
Von picked up an apple from the bowl and sat across from Aalrija. “The girl trusts this Tobias boy. That’s what’s important,” he stressed. “Kumiko’s feelings toward Navaryn are of no consequence to me, nor should they be to you.”
Aalrija folded her hands on the table and concealed her worried expression. Peace between Von and Kumiko felt delicate, yet it held together far better than she ever expected. Keeping their relationship cordial was vital in their endeavor, and she felt a sense of responsibility to see that it remained that way.
“Besides, I needed to find someone quickly. We’ve been lucky thus far, but time isn’t exactly on our side since Merisek could be closing in at any moment. I stand by my choi—” Von paused as his ears caught the inklings of distant footsteps.
“I trust you are right, Von,” Aalrija replied, overlooking that he paused mid-word. “Now, we must see if Kumiko can handle the weight of Kaimaharaa.”
“Shh!” snapped Von with his index finger pressed against his lips.
“What is it?”
“Uh, oh,” chimed Claymar as he approached the table, fully dressed. “Gettin’ spooked, are we?”
“Quiet. Someone’s here,” Von replied softly. “Out in the cave.”
“Oh, relax, it’s just Onyx coming back from his morning romp,” said Claymar as he swiped his hand across Von’s shoulder.
“No. Onyx isn’t this quiet,” said Von as he walked over to the trunk and kicked the lid open.
“Please, Von. Don’t do anything brash,” urged Aalrija.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he sarcastically replied.
Von retrieved his gauntlets from the trunk and quickly fastened them. Once activated with his innate power, the gauntlets glowed a soft orange hue. From his palm came a dark crimson spire extending to the length of a short sword.
“Von. I-is that your—” Aalrija started.
“Blood. Yes,” he quickly replied as he closed the trunk and started toward the recessed cave entrance to avoid further questions.
Aalrija rose from the table and stood beside Claymar, watching Von head toward the cave.
“There he goes,” Claymar said with a chuckle. “Classic Von.”
“Aren’t you going to assist him?”
“Ha. He’d probably cut off my hand if I stepped in.”
“Pardon?”
“He’s itching for a fight.”
“How do you know?”
“Think about it. The guy’s been cooped up here for months trying to get his girl back. I’d be looking for a fight, too.”
“Because of Lowenna?” surmised Aalrija with a solemn stare. “I suppose Onyx helped you with that?”
“A bit,” Claymar replied with a wink.
Although the presence of an intruder discovering the safe room was cause for alarm, Claymar’s playful demeanor effectively put Aalrija’s mind at ease. However, it did little to take her attention off the bloodstone blade protruding out of Von’s hand.
“Answer me this,” she said to Claymar. “Those peculiar contraptions on Von’s hands, that spire of blood ….”
“Oh, you didn’t know? Von’s a Sangromancer.”
“Fascinating. I thought them to be nothing more than a myth.”
“Yeah. Kind of a lot to get into. We’ll chat about it later,” he assured.
The hobbling footsteps drew closer as they echoed down the corridor. Von noted the high ceiling cast in shadow above the entryway and quickly scaled the wall to await in a dark corner. In walked a figure through the opening to the cave. Before the intruder could utter a syllable, Von lunged from above and tackled him to the ground, where they tumbled into the visibility of the main room. As Von mounted the intruder, he let out a soft chuckle as he held his blood spire before the man’s familiar face.
“Well, what a coincidence. We were just talking about you.”
“Damn it, Von! Get off of me!” yelped Kumiko as he winced in pain.
Claymar doubled over as he erupted into laughter, though a fit of coughing hushed him quickly. Looking amused yet mildly unsatisfied, Von disengaged the blade from his gauntlet and rose to his feet without offering a helping hand.
“Kumiko?” said Aalrija. “Are you alright?”
“I will be,” he answered with tired eyes as he slowly stood up.
“You’re lucky Onyx wasn’t in the cave. He could have torched you,” said Von as he reclaimed his apple from the table. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to give a report.”
“In person?” blurted Claymar.
“I thought we agreed you were to travel by way of the fire, same as Aalrija,” added Von.
“I couldn’t, alright?” Kumiko revealed. “I Paralleled over here in a few short spurts, and that about drained me.”
“Why? What’s the matter?” asked Aalrija.
“My powers are deadened. Somehow, I was hit with an expulsion charm that broke me away from the human boy. I went back later but couldn’t hang on for long.”
Flabbergasted, Aalrija chimed, “An expulsion charm? Are you sure?”
Kumiko nodded. “Labraid has done it to me enough times during training. I know the feeling pretty well.”
“Who could have done it?”
“It’s Lowenna,” Von claimed. “She managed to communicate with her host. Thankfully, she’s been receptive to Lowenna’s instructions on using charms.”
“Exactly,” Kumiko said with a nod.
“Remarkable,” acclaimed Aalrija. “Has Navaryn’s host done the same?”
“It seems that Lowenna’s host has shared the knowledge with her, but she is not using them,” Kumiko added, then explained the illustration he found.
“Well, I suppose that works neither to our benefit nor our detriment,” said Aalrija as she slid the fruit bowl toward Kumiko, to which Von raised an eyebrow.
“Wrong,” Kumiko contended. “She’s leaving herself vulnerable to Joro and Merisek should they decide to take more invasive actions. We need to come up with a plan.”
Kumiko’s ominous expression alarmed Aalrija. As they brainstormed proactive ideas, Von walked over to the fireplace to toss in another lump of Onyx’s shed skin while Claymar sauntered to the couch. After taking the last bite of his apple, Von unfastened his gauntlets with subtle frustration and placed them back in the trunk.
“Shame you got all worked up for nothing, hm?” said Claymar with a grin.
“Tell me about it,” he replied, staring into the dancing flames. “Part of me wished it was Joro in the cave so I could put my blade through his throat.”
“That sounds so romantic. I wouldn’t mind snapping off a leg or two. Well, I guess since all he’s only got is two, I’ll just take ’em both.”
Von lightly chuckled as he walked back over to the pantry. After taking a few moments to crudely arrange a platter of bread, dried meat, and cheese, he brought it over to share with Claymar.
“Thoughtful!” beamed Claymar as he twinkled his toes. “I don’t suppose I should expect a massage after this snack?”
Von tilted his head and batted the back of his hand across Claymar’s vulnerable leg.
“Ow!” he shouted in an outburst between a laugh and a cry. “That knee’s still cracked a little, ya know.”
Their mutterings caught Aalrija’s attention from the table. “Is everything alright?”
“Oh, we’re fine. Von just thinks I haven’t gone through enough torture.”
Aalrija couldn’t help but admire their peculiar dynamic. Once Von returned to the table, Kumiko regained enough strength to sit up straight.
“So, what’s it like, Kumiko?” asked Von as he finished chewing a hunk of bread.
“What’s what like?”
“Possessing that human boy.”
Kumiko gazed down at the shiny obsidian table top as he thought. “It’s the strangest thing. Not at all what I expected it to be like. Our minds merged in a strange way. I began to think like him, and he began to think like me. I’m able to control him, just not how I imagined. We think as one being, rather than me simply being a visitor in his body taking hold of the reins, so to speak.”
“Do you think the boy is aware of your presence?” asked Aalrija.
“Doubtful.”
Von noticed a hint of despondence behind Kumiko’s eyes. He attributed it to his exhausted condition, though he wondered if he was exhibiting some sort of symptom carried over from Kaimaharaa. Not paying much mind, for the time being, Von continued to keep Kumiko’s attention.
“And what about the girl?” he pressed.
Kumiko griped, “She is so sensitive, so unstable, and annoyingly hot-headed. I’ll get Navaryn to surface somehow. I just have to keep my cover.”
“When the time is right, say or show something that can trigger one of Navaryn’s strongest emotions. That should draw her out.”
“That should be no problem for Kumiko,” quipped Claymar from the couch. “If anyone knows how to piss Navaryn off the most, it’d be you. Am I right?”
Von turned to Claymar and snapped, “Am I gonna have to gag you?”
Claymar cleared his throat. “Just a joke. I’ll shut up now.”
Kumiko took the remark in stride, or so he made it appear. He kept his composure, which, oddly enough, he had found was easy to manage in the presence of Aalrija.
“Ahem. Before I do, though, I have an idea,” said Claymar as he subtly raised his hand. “Thanks to Merisek, I know how to Parallel to the realm of Human. Why don’t the two of us just go there? We can handle it.”
“Not without a plan. We can’t just hang around aimlessly while the realm slowly kills us,” cautioned Von as he fidgeted with the amulet sitting atop his chest “Not even Joro can stay for too long at a time.”.
Claymar scoffed at the mention of Joro, then stood up from the couch. “Oh, come on. You know we’d last far longer than that shifty twit. I’ll go alone if I need to.”
“Don’t be stupid, Clay.”
“What’s stupid about trying to help instead of just sitting here? Lowenna needs me just as much as Navaryn needs you. End of discussion.”
Aalrija tried to interject, “As much as—”
“You’re not even fully recovered. All you’ll do is get yourself killed if Joro or Merisek find you.”
“That’s why I need you there to back me up. Now, let’s go!”
Claymar and Von continued to argue over Aalrija’s unsuccessful attempts to finish her statement until her patience expired. “Enough! I swear, the both of you act like children sometimes!” she boomed as her fiery apparition surged. “Now, as I was saying, as much as I would love to have you both try your luck in Human directly, we can’t risk causing an incident and having you exposed. Doing so could, frankly, spell disaster.”
Annoyed, Claymar barked, “What do you mean?”
Before Aalrija could respond, a shuffling sound from the far end of the safe room beckoned everyone’s attention. Having successfully avoided triggering Von’s heightened hearing, Fallon walked toward the obsidian table.
“To answer that, you must first understand these Humans,” he called out in his hearty voice.
“Fallon?” Kumiko chimed in disbelief, “What are you doing here? Benson could know—”
“Not to worry. I didn’t Parallel.”
Von grinned with genuine pleasure upon seeing Fallon. Instead of puzzling himself with how he made his way through the cave without making a sound, he was content with the tricks Fallon had up his sleeve.
“Hello, Von,” greeted Fallon as he extended his hand. “Aalrija has kept me apprised of your efforts. Marvelous work.”
Von firmly gripped Fallon’s hand. “Good to see you again. What brings you here?”
“Well, I ran into Onyx a short while ago. I was on my way back to my shop with some fresh ore, and he must have sniffed out the gems nestled inside it. Then, something told me I should stop by, and Onyx was kind enough to bring me along for a ride.” He then looked to Claymar. “And I see we have a guest.”
Hesitant at first, the otherwise unbashful Daeva replied, “The name’s Claymar,” with his mouth cluttered with bread and cheese.
“Ah, so you’re Claymar,” said Fallon with raised eyebrows. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Fallon’s arrival was heartwarming as much as it was unexpected. While he acquainted himself with Claymar, Aalrija sat awestruck at the inconceivable congregation before her; two of Daeva’s most powerful stood in the peaceful presence of Celestine’s elite, working toward a common goal. Though she could only speak for herself, the prospect of viewing the Daeva as enemies had faded entirely from her mind.
“So, Fallon. Tell us,” Von began, “what’s the worst that could happen by going to the realm of Human ourselves?”
“First off, as you already know, the realm of Human is rather unique. Due to the absence of mystical essence, the realm cannot sustain beings like ourselves. It thirsts, and it suffers. Therefore it overtakes.
“The reason for this is they are a race that has, how shall I put this … forgotten who they are. And, frankly, that is how they must remain. Revealing our presence to them could, in theory, cause them to recall the ways of the mystics. Were that to happen, they would act much like a plague and conquer as far as their reach will take them.”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” said Von. “For a realm that was supposedly so capable, how do you explain their present, utter weakness?”
“It is because the Humans seldom trust what they see in front of their own eyes. And that includes each other,” explained Aalrija. “In many ways, they have poisoned their world. Tainted it in strange, inconceivable ways. They tend to argue amongst themselves about a great many things, as far too many of them cannot see beyond their narrow and limited scope. They impose disbelief on one another, manipulate, and rationalize in detrimental ways. They’re simply lost, afraid, and far too—”
“Stupid?” Claymar chimed.
Von kicked Claymar’s shin after his interruption but couldn’t stop himself from chuckling along with him.
“I was going to say, far too impulsive for their own good,” Aalrija concluded.
“But that’s not to say they are devoid of any redeeming qualities,” Fallon remarked. “There are many who are eager and yearn for the betterment of their society.”
Von and Claymar glanced toward each other, subtly rolling their eyes at Fallon’s remarks. Though it came as little surprise, they were impressed at the level of knowledge the Celestines had regarding the realm of Human. However, taking their illustration of the realm into consideration, their stance became understandable. They would have to continue to tread lightly; a notion that did not sit well with either of them.
“Nevertheless,” Fallon continued, “the realm of Human is one that we’ve been cautious to avoid. With the way things stand now, they’re slated to bring about their own demise. We will not make ourselves responsible by hastening their stride.”
Halting mid-sip, Von and Claymar set down their wine glasses and glared at Fallon.
“That’s interesting,” said Von. “Seeing as how you Celestines have no reservations when it comes to the decimation of Daeva.”
“I cannot speak for the conflict between our realms, Von. That began long before my time,” Fallon replied earnestly. “But I can tell you that I myself no longer support Celestine’s affront on Daeva.”
“Nor do I,” affirmed Aalrija. “We’ve learned far too much from you two to hang onto such unguided hostility.”
“Good luck convincing Daeva of that,” Claymar uttered solemnly.
“Peace between our realms will come,” said Aalrija as she leaned forward. “I will see that through even if it takes me until my dying day.”
Aalrija’s vow, to which Fallon echoed the same, lent enough appeasement to lower the temperature of the conversation. The five of them knew well and good that such a notion of peace between Celestine and Daeva felt ever distant, but perhaps for the first time, it seemed possible. Keeping faith in Aalrija and Fallon’s promise wasn’t difficult, though when Von and Claymar looked to Kumiko and waited for him to chime in, he remained silent.
“Almost forgot you were sitting there,” Claymar playfully quipped. “It’s okay. You don’t have to comment.”
Kumiko’s only reply was a feigned smile that he hoped would appease.
“How soon do you think you can reconnect to the human boy?” asked Von.
“I should have enough strength in a few hours,” he replied. “Although I’m not sure how much longer I can continue sidestepping Labraid’s training. He might become suspicious of something.”
“I’ll tell him you’ve taken ill today. That should buy you a little time and give you some reprieve,” Aalrija assured. “In the meantime, get plenty of rest. You’ll need your strength.”
However doubtful Kumiko was that Labraid would be willing to accept such an excuse, he was nonetheless relieved and agreed to Aalrija’s proposal.
“What’ll your next step be then?” asked Claymar.
“I have an idea for what to do,” Kumiko replied with a stern look. “The boy is meeting Navaryn’s host for a meal later today. I’ll try my luck then.”
“Perfect,” said Aalrija as she rose from the table. “I must be off now to find Labraid. Good luck, gentlemen.”
“I’ll be going as well,” Fallon said with a grin. “I’ll need to borrow Onyx to get back before he decides to go down for a nap. Keep up the fight and don’t let up, got it?”
Aalrija’s fiery apparition dissipated into fluttering embers as she took her leave while Fallon returned to the cave to look for Onyx. The young collective considered the courses of action laid out before them, and the time to act was quickly impending. Kumiko slowly rose from the table and addressed Von standing idly by.
“I need to wash up and rest for a while before returning to Human,” he said.
“By all means. Do what you have to do.”
Kumiko nodded at Von with subtle graciousness but didn’t bat an eye at Claymar. While he sauntered off to the far end of the safe room, Claymar pulled Von aside for a huddle.
“So, how do you feel about all of this?” he whispered.
“How do you?”
“I don’t know, Von. All this talk about not causing an incident in the realm of Human seems ridiculous to me.”
“I don’t like it either. But you heard what Fallon said. Besides that, I owe it to Aalrija for getting as far as I have. I’ll respect her wishes.”
“Alright, I’ll give you that. For a Celestine, she’s a kind woman who seems genuinely on the same side as us,” Claymar acknowledged. “But what about Kumiko? Do you trust him? I mean, you remember what he did to you, don’t you?”
“You think I’d actually forget?”
“I just can’t fathom he’s being as forthright as he’s making it seem.”
“I’m not worried about Kumiko, and you shouldn’t be either,” Von urged. “After all, we’re both working toward the same goal. All three of us, for that matter.”
“I’m touched. I know he saved my ass,” he admitted, “but don’t expect me to be friendly with the little sap.”
The following few hours in the safe room were quiet, though the silence was occasionally interrupted by minor instances of Claymar’s pained grunts as he exercised his injured knee. While Von slipped in and out of his meditative trances with the Delavine Crystal, Kumiko rested on the plush couch. However, unbeknownst to Von and Claymar, he had feigned sleep for the majority of the time he was there. Peeking through the slightest openings of his eyelids, even in his sheer exhaustion, he fixated on Von as he delved into the crystal. The thought of him watching Navaryn’s host was enough to make his skin crawl, yet his mind was sound enough to maintain the goal they shared.
Kumiko’s time of rest was nearing a third hour when he was suddenly jolted upright by the sound of a burning log cracking in half. Von and Claymar turned toward him with subtly amused countenances. After another few awkward seconds that seemed to pass ever so slowly, Kumiko rose from the couch and exited through the cave without uttering so much as a word.