“You cannot trick the trickster, mortal,” they answered, now sounding faint. “I know you are seeking answers about your curse with that question. I have threaded double-meanings throughout my words for millenia, do try to remember that. Though I appreciate the audacity of your attempt, however, so I will say that there are no undine witches left.”
An answer that only led to even more questions.
So, there could still be others, from the other elementals. I tried to recall if Theo had ever mentioned which elemental line the woman his father slept with was from, but I drew a blank. If she was dead, the only true hope we had left was the god before me.
“That was a free answer, the next one will cost you, so choose wisely, when you wish to ask another,” they warned, the sound of their voice now a mere trickle in the mist around me. “Follow the ley line if you wish to find your companions.”
The clear instructions had me spurring into action, running as fast as I could along the blue, pulsating line of magic. As I stumbled over a root and nearly fell, I was shocked by the first sign of life here besides myself. I steadied myself and continued on with renewed hope, following the ley line until I stumbled into a clearing completely void of mist.
It was so strange, finally seeing something other than a wispy white void around me, that I almost didn’t believe it as I drew to a sudden stop in the clearing. I quickly scanned the area for the undine god or anyone else, but found myself alone with four standing stones, arranged neatly in a square. Between them all was an opalescent-toned swirling void.
I walked slowly alongside the blue ley line that connected to the nearest stone before placing my hand on the rough surface. It hummed with energy beneath my fingers–perhaps the stone was a conduit for the immense power that had burned me prior. Each of the other stones had their own ley line running fromit, and it wasn’t hard to piece together the colors and directions spreading outward from this center point.
To the left was a vibrant green ley line heading toward the eastern kingdom of Eruthya. To my right was a violet streaked ley line running toward the western kingdom of Isomythia. My gaze lifted to the southern ley line opposite ours, which burned as brightly as I imagined the molten lava on the land of Salarya did.
Sanctum was truly the center of all of the magic in Edath. The connection to the gods and the powers granted from them. It took my breath away to see such raw power at its core. I couldn’t imagine many got the opportunity to see this, and as I took hesitant steps toward the portal, I would bet that even fewer took the risk of traveling through it.
Whether it was because they weren’t idiotic enough to travel to Sanctum like we had, or because they weren’t enticing enough for a god to take interest in, as the undine had us, remained to be seen.
Indecision gnawed at my chest, my brain warring with my heart in what felt like an unwinnable battle. This had to be where I needed to go to find Theo and Kaida. The ley line had led me here, and according to the undine god, it would take me to them. But did I trust that information? He had openly admitted to being a trickster, to using doublespeak, and finding amusement in my own attempts to subvert him in my search for information.
It took all of a few seconds of looking around, knowing I’d simply get lost if I tried to search elsewhere, before I took a few more steps toward the opalescent portal. The tips of my boots were mere inches away from making contact, and I had to take deep, steadying breaths to stop myself from backing away. The fear of this unknown began to take root, knotting in my stomach and causing a slight tremor in my hands.
I had to risk it for them.
With a surge of adrenaline, I stepped into the center of the swirling magic and closed my eyes.
Please don’t kill me.
For a moment, nothing happened. But then I felt a tingling sensation all over my body, and before I could comprehend what was happening, the stones were gone and bright white light consumed me. Weightlessness left me spinning in the void and I shut my eyes, feeling nausea rise up, the threat of me spilling what meager breakfast I’d forced down this morning very real indeed.
When I suddenly felt solid ground beneath my feet once more and opened my eyes, I found myself at the base of a towering mountain range that I recognized. I turned on my heel, knowing that if my thoughts were correct, Theo’s castle would be behind me. But we couldn’t be back home, could we?
The castle before me wasn’t Theo’s, yet I did recognize it. The icy walls glittered with crystals that reflected the sunlight like prisms. Rows of torches lined the path toward the large doors, and there, perched upon one of the walls was my dragon looking down at me, from the same castle we’d found in the quickening.
Our eyes connected and he let out a loud trill. I opened myself to our bond and felt his concern and relief pouring into my mind. I sent those same emotions back to him tenfold, thankful, at least, to have one of them on my side once more.
Kaida.
I couldn't help but smile as he swooped down to land beside me, knocking up a spray of fresh snow with his tail. I rushed to his side, throwing my body against his chest as I did my best to hug my arms around him. His head dropped to my back, a rumble sounding from him and vibrating against my heaving chest. I gulped breaths greedily, relief pouring into me from the contact with my dragon.
“Hey, buddy,” I whispered as a tidal wave of emotions suddenly clogged my throat. “I was so worried. It turns out your premonition was correct.”
He nuzzled against me affectionately as I took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears of relief from cascading down my face.
But then another thought crossed my mind—where was Theo?
"He's safe for now," came a familiar voice from behind us. My heart skipped a beat as I turned to see the undine god once more, but this time in a human form as he approached.
Tall and imposing, he exuded an air of power and an ethereal quality that was both captivating and terrifying. His icy blue eyes seemed to pierce through my very soul, while his flowing light-blue hair cascaded down his back like a frozen waterfall. Every movement he made sent shimmering ripples through the air, as if he was surrounded by an invisible aura of frost.
Kaida growled from behind me and I held out an arm, scared of what the god would do if he attacked. The iron weight of dread threatened to pull me to the ground, but I stood straight, steeling my reserve as I faced the undine god before me.
“Now, Sia, I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” he said, holding his hands out as twin daggers of ice appeared in them. “Either you die or the dragon does.”
We had known it would come to this, but my heart twisted painfully in my chest anyway.
I wasted no time in drawing my sword, ready to fight until my heart stopped beating to protect Kaida.
