Fragments of memories

When death comes, what one can do is run – run in vain. Nobody escapes death’s hand except for those who are not fated to die. Reina Reindall was fortunate to have Root Forest by her side. The meteor shook the earth as it crashed, but she was safe in the company of the willows, birch and spruce. They sheltered her from particles of the flaming rock, but were burnt themselves. It seemed to her that they remembered her presence. Truly, she was here before.

 

When the deafening sound of the crash stopped ringing in her ears, she stood up and called for her companions. Only the sound of her own voice was heard in the ruins of the forest.

…

Keira walked along the edge of what remained of the woods, muttering to herself. They travelled to this place to examine Leon’s laboratory, and Vangz surely did that without their help. Their next move would be to head to Rottoundale, Kiev’s empire. It would be difficult without the wizard’s magic, but they had to go through with it. She bit her bottom lip and wondered whether he was alive.

“Ehem, princess?” Cool interrupted her stream of consciousness. “Well? Off to Rottoundalle eh?”

“Shouldn’t we search for Vangz first?” Keira remembered something. “And by the way, how do you know about my nickname, princess?”

Cool stopped moving, and he twiddled his thumbs. “Well uh…I studied your family history…ehehe.” The jester decided it wasn’t the time or place to discuss genealogy. “Listen, we need to head to Rottoundale. If Vangz is alive, he’d head there too.”

“He would, but what if he needs immediate help? If we leave now, he may never be saved,” Keira eyed the forest curiously. She had the strangest feeling…

“Let’s split up and search for Vangz. He must’ve apparated to some part of the forest,” Keira was already heading into the woods herself. Without glancing back, she added, “Take the other side. Meet me back here at nightfall.”

“It’s not worth it!” Cool shouted, still rooted to his spot. “We’re wasting precious time!”

“He’s our comrade – our friend.”

Cool grunted. “How do you even know he’s in the forest and not in Rottoundale or that mountain over there?”

“An assassin can sense things. He can’t be in Rottoundale. I suspect he’s wounded, so he couldn’t have apparated too far.” Keira stared back at Cool with cold assassin eyes. “You wouldn’t want us to leave you here all lone if you were in his boots, would you?”

“I…no. Oh all right, I’ll look for him,” Cool grumbled and jumped from tree to tree. “I’ll take the sky. You run through the forest.”

…

The paladin felt the hair on his nape stand. Heavy breathing came from behind him. Something was there in the cave with him. It was definitely big. Sir Radley drew out his sword and pointed at the creature crouched in the darkness. “Show yourself.”

“I would, but I can’t move,” a voice replied. “I think some bones are broken.”

Radley’s healing instincts kicked in, and he rushed over to help. He turned the stranger over and wasn’t surprised to see the face of his former friend and rival. “Same I’m-ever-so-powerful voice, Vangz.”

“Same I’m-ever-so-holy voice, Radley,” the wizard replied, grinning a bit. “What the hell brought you here?”

“The heavens brought me – not hell. Lucky for you, my paladin magic can heal,” quicker than a weaver, the paladin pressed his gentle hands on the injured man and muttered a holy spell. Glowing white energy coursed through his fingers and mended the bones of Vangz.

The wizard mumbled a ‘thanks’ under his breath and looked at Radley with eyes full of vigour. “Shall we get out of this hole of crap?”

…

The assassin ran through the remains of Root Forest, zigzagging through fallen trees and boulders. There was a magical force drawing her to a certain spot. This was the reason she decided to search the woods instead of the mountain. The strong feeling guided her to the meadow – the only place that remained unharmed. Peace among the ruin.

She spotted a figure in elegant robes sitting in the middle of the sea of flowers and grass. The woman hummed sadly to herself and didn’t seem to notice Keira’s presence.

“Miss, are you all right?” Keira approached the woman, thinking she might be hurt. Reina Reindall stood up quickly and looked alarmed.

“I-I forgot…” she managed to say. “I forgot…”

“Come, let me bring you somewhere safer,” Keira held Reina’s hand and attempted to take her out of the meadow. The master sage pulled away.

“No place is safer than this,” she glanced around and swayed dreamily, as if in a trance. “His memories…my memories…how could I forget?”

“We need to leave this place,” Keira pleaded. “The Cercatori may attack again, and I need to find my lost comrade.”

“Lost. We’re all lost in this world,” Reina replied sadly. She flopped back on the grass and ran her fingers through the dandelions.

“Maybe you’ve seen him around, miss? He’s a young man – a wizard in robes of black. Vangz.” Keira asked the beautiful but tragic stranger.

“Vangz…” Reina’s eyes lit up, and she sprang on her feet again. Her tone changed from dreamy to dead serious. “Keira Seneca, assassin of the Sutoraika clan, I presume?”

“Yes,” Keira decided to be on guard. “And who are you to know such information?”

“Reina Rendall, master sage,” she took a step forward and held out her hand. “It’s an honour to meet you.”

“Same here,” Keira shook it abruptly. The woman seemed trustworthy.

“This meadow has charmed me. It’s protected by pure white magic,” Reina accompanied the assassin out of the meadow. “The disturbing thing is…I think I cast the very spell a long time ago.”

“What’s the purpose of the spell?” Keira asked curiously. A dove was flying overhead, a sign that the Cercatori wouldn’t return.

“To preserve memories…events that occurred in that meadow,” Reina smiled at her new companion. “But enough about that. The important thing is that I found you.”

“Are you one of Yaktu’s contacts?” Keira asked. There was a light feeling around her.

“I am. A paladin, a mysterious stranger, and I. We separated when a flaming rock hurled from the sky.”

Reina felt an instant connection to the assassin. For some reason, she was drawn to her, just as she was drawn to Radley and Yaktu. Each person she met seemed to bring her one step closer to the man she was searching for. Perhaps it was Vangz.

“This…Vangz you search for…he’s the dark wizard isn’t he?” Reina asked. Keira nodded gravely.

“But I know there’s some good in him. And…I guess it’s safe to say he’s my friend,” Keira moved her eyes around and checked for any sign of the wizard.

“Is that his real name? Just Vangz?” Reina didn’t know how to feel. If Vangz was the same man in her memories, it meant he turned into a criminal and an outcast. What a sad fate for someone so kind. If he wasn’t the same person though, she would feel disappointed because her man would still be lost.

“Perhaps it’s just an alias. I’m sure Cool isn’t the jester’s real name,” Keira and Reina trudged through the soil, muddy and soggy with leaves and fallen branches. Still, there was no sign of Vangz.

“When we find this Vangz, I will know,” Reina whispered. The search for the one without a name has consumed her for years until it grew into an obsession. She longed for the man she once loved.

“What’s that now?” Keira asked.

Reina sighed. “I guess there’s no harm in telling you. I’ve been having these flashbacks, you see. These visions of memories long gone…”

“And then?” Keira, curious as a cat, wanted to know more. “Go on.”

“I feel like I’ve forgotten a large chunk of my past – a crucial part…very dear to me,” her eyes were becoming moist, but she wiped the forming tears with a delicate white handkerchief. “The memories are gradually returning to me, yet I still don’t know where to find the man whom I see in every vision.”

“So you think this man may be Vangz?” Keira checked in a small cave, but nobody was there.

“Yes…oh wait! I know this place! This fallen rock from the sky, this narrow ravine to this cave…this is where I lost my comrades.”

Reina called their names, but there was no reply. Radley and Vangz had long gone from the cave, and Djeembehn was somewhere unknown.

“This is usually a last resort, but it’s time we use it,” Reina held up her hand close to her face and examined a bright silver ring with strange engraving. It shone in the little sunlight that reached the pained forest. “My ring will help us find them.”

Keira thought she had seen the ring before. An idea occurred to her. “Why can’t you use the ring to find your lost love?”

“I need a full name to do so,” she replied sadly. “Vangz is only an alias.” The master sage closed her eyes and held her hand close to her heart. “Lead me to Sir Radley Ashcroft, 1^st class paladin and knight of the Order. Lead me to Djeembehn…oh what good is he? That’s not even his full name.”

Keira watched silently as Reina sought advice from the enchanted ring. How this would lead them to Sir Radley, she did not know. Reina’s eyes flew open and she faced the assassin in alarm.

“What happened?” Keira’s heart beat with anticipation.

“I wasn’t fully concentrated when I asked the ring…I couldn’t find Radley anywhere…” there was something else that was bothering her. “I was conscious that you, Keira Seneca, were right beside me. In effect, the ring gave me a vision of your husband, the famous philosopher and alchemist, Leon Seneca.”

“Leon?! Where is he?” Keira’s eyes grew wide with fear. “Please tell me he’s all right…”

Reina grabbed the assassin’s shoulders. “Don’t lose hope. We can still fix this. Shhh! Don’t speak. Let me finish. Leon’s trapped in another dimension. He’s barely alive.”

Keira controlled herself from panicking. She was able to maintain a straight expression as she asked her next question. “How do we get there?”

“I can create a portal to that dimension, but I can only hold it open for a few minutes,” Reina inhaled deeply and spread her arms wide. “You’ll have to save him yourself. Please hurry.”

Keira nodded and observed the master sage as soft silver light from her hands met in the middle of her outstretched arms and created a rift in Lesallia’s dimension. Black, darker than anything they have ever seen appeared in the rift. It grew wider until it was large enough for Keira’s slim figure to slip through. The assassin quickly jumped into the hole of heavy darkness and searched high and low for Leon.

A single slit of white coming from the portal held open by Reina provided the light in this world. But Keira had no choice but to stray away from the comforting glow in order to find her husband. He was lost among the bleakness and fog, and the assassin wondered whether it was possible to save him in a few minutes. But she had to. It was either they get out of here together or she stays behind forever with him. Of course, the former was a more inviting choice.

“Leon?! Can you hear me?” she choked on those few words. It was difficult to breathe in here. She felt around the place blindly, praying that she would bump into him soon. Guardians of Lesallia, please help me.

Her heart beat in a peculiar way. It was the rhythm it danced to when she felt her husband was coming home. It was the indescribable moment of hope that he was just around the corner. He was near. His remaining energy was calling her to him.

“KEIRA!!!” Reina’s voice resounded through the entire otherworld. “PLEASE, I CAN’T HOLD IT FOR LONG!” Keira tried to run again, but her limbs were being weighed down by the sinister fog. As if it had a life of its own. Leon, where are you?

Use the dagger I gave you. His voice! It was unmistakably Leon’s voice that Keira heard in her mind. The one I gave you on your birthday. To protect yourself.

Keira pulled Leon’s dagger – elegant and sleek, never used in battle – and used all her strength to slice through the fog. The aftermath of the slash was light. Light cutting through the fog, giving Keira a way to pass swiftly.

…Glide through the sea of your enemies. Outstretch your arms and slash the darkness of doubt. This is the second waltz of the assassin…

Reina was in pain. Her arms were aching from holding them up too long, and her heart body grew weaker with each passing minute. The rift was gradually decreasing. The master sage closed her eyes and opened it wider, causing a sting in her side. Before she was about to collapse, Keira came through with Leon on her back. The pair crashed into Reina and sent them tumbling to a tree.

“You okay?” Reina squeaked from under the two. “Ehm… ouch.”

Keira giggled from Reina’s simple expression of pain, and helped her up to her feet. She knocked Leon off in the process. “Oh I’m soooo sorry, Leon, I didn’t mean to!”

“That’s what you always say,” Leon smiled weakly as Keira nuzzled on his shoulder. “I’m beginning to think you’re doing it on purpose.” After saying these teasing words, the alchemist drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

Keira turned to Reina and gave her a warm hug. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Reina returned the gesture and smiled. “Anything for an ally…and a friend.” She glanced at the sleeping alchemist and conjured a warm coat for him. “When we find Radley, Leon will be healed.”

…

“Great…just great,” Sir Radley groaned. He and Vangz were walking down a busy street full of merchants. “You just had to apparate to Tagaitar without my consent.”

“Our goal is to reach Rottoundalle, and here we are, in its main city.” They wore merchant’s clothing to blend into the crowd. “Closest one to the castle.”

“But my companions! I’m not even sure Miss Reina’s alive!” he exclaimed. “And Djeembehn…well I don’t even know where the bugger is!”

Vangz stopped in his tracks when he heard the master sage’s name. Reina…it was familiar to him. Perhaps she was the young woman in his memories. He felt a strong connection to her.

“She’s safe. Don’t you worry,” Vangz said as he resumed his pace. The paladin eyed him quizzically.

“How in heaven’s name do you know?” Radley said. “You two haven’t seen each other for years.”

That cinched it. Vangz smirked triumphantly. Reina was his lost love. It wasn’t time to ask about her right now. She would come to Rottoundalle. She was safe. “A wizard can sense things. Let’s wait for your companions and mine.”

 

Reviews

[sutoraika]

man, i read it all again. awesome. we had so much fun writing it. can't wait for the next one. gee, Lesallia is actually very funny. funny as in sarcastic funny. balanced with darkness. hahahhaa