Word of a Ghost

“You’re done training?” Apis was thumping the hatch we had closed yesterday and listening for the echo, presumably in case anyone was on the other side. He seemed satisfied. I couldn’t see Duran, which was making me nervous. It never went well when he was out of my sight for too long.

“Let’s not talk about any training,” I said. “I’m, uh, on break.”

I was beginning to feel a little guilty, which was an unusual emotion for me. Running away was what I did- I had run away from my mother, from the capital, from Durandus’s father. I hadn’t run away from Andrena because she was a goddess, but I was working on that one. Frankly, me even being here was a shocking betrayal of my character. “Did you need to check anything else?”

He gave me a suspicious look, then pushed himself up. “That bruise looks bad. Did you want to do something about it? I’m sure we could find, uh….” We both glanced around the room. There were stacks of furniture. Not much else. “Well, maybe we could find bandages somewhere. There might be some spare leather in the armor room?”

“No need. I feel great. Let’s just do a check.” I gestured. “In case someone got out.”

That used up a good few minutes, checking underneath furniture and inside wardrobes. I found an ancient whisk (cobwebbed, but no spider) and what looked like a child’s doll, sans head.

No axes, with or without women attached. I closed another set of doors and checked over my shoulder for Aemilia. I had begun to think of her as a sort of evil spirit, capable of appearing without notice.

Thankfully, she was still in the other room. All I saw was Apis, restacking chairs so they were more stable.

“Where did Duran go?” I said, finally. It had been too long. I had to ask.

“Ah,” he said. “Uh, I don’t know. He said he was going to check for evil, and then went…” he pointed to the other door, away from Aemilia’s room. “He said he would be right back.”

I turned and considered our options. “What do you think the chances are that he’s fine?”

“Well, he’s fifteen now. And it’s a temple.” I gave Apis the look that deserved. He sighed and put down the chair. “I don’t think he took any weapons, if that helps.”

It didn’t. Duran was capable of finding his own weapons. “I’ll lead,” I said. “I have the blade.”

For the first four rooms, we moved in relative silence. Each room was like a slice of a ring, near-square and with a pile of nonsense in the center. A single door inwards, towards the circle in the middle of the temple. One door towards where we had come from, and one door forwards.

Nothing of interest. Of course, there was infinite garbage to sort through, but that didn’t make it notable.

“No,” I told Apis, on one of those occasions. “I still don’t need armor.”

“If you’re fighting now, though.” He held up the mail and shook it. It clanged. “What if that woman comes back?”

“I’ve got a cursed sword. I’ll just…. Stab her.”

I turned away, feeling a little too self-conscious. After a moment, I turned back and took the chainmail. Just in case. It actually fit very well.

I hadn’t done well enough on my “training” to feel confident about another fight, but I still didn’t want that axe-woman to get away with just attacking me like that. I would have to think of a way to get her back.

The blade heated up under my hand, and I snatched my palm away. Andrena, I already told you, no. Or had it just been my imagination?

“You’re sure he told you he was going this way,” I snapped.

Apis didn’t even bother responding to that, which was probably fair. We had both known Duran too long to underestimate him. Chances were he was fighting a giant squid by now.

Ironically enough, as soon as I heard a rhythmic clanging I calmed down. It had to be Duran. We stopped outside of the nearest door and pulled it open a tiny creak. A thump, a ring, another clang.

Yes. Definitely Duran, by the swearwords used. They were extremely regional.

“Duran,” I shouted. “I’m giving you two minutes to stop being dangerous, and then we’re coming in to check on you.”

There was another loud thump. Then the door creaked open the rest of the way, revealing Duran. He was covered in dust, some streaks of grease, and what looked like rust. “You’ve been busy.”

“I just don’t get it,” he said. “It shouldn’t be hard to break a door down. I’ve seen them do it before, when they took Old Caelia back for stealing that goat.”

Ah. I remembered the Old Caelia incident as well. “She lived in a shack,” I said. “The door was barely there. Also, half the village showed up.”

Not a very good argument. Half the village was four people, so if we brought in Aemilia we’d have the same amount to break down this door. Still, there wasn’t a stolen goat behind it (as far as I knew) so we were less motivated.

“Besides,” I said. “Everyone involved there was an adult. They were more…” I gestured. “Weighty.”

Duran glanced down at himself, then towards the pile at the base of the door. I eyed it, too. I spotted what looked like a helmet, a block of knives (most of the knives in it) a set of cutting boards, two chairs, a table, and what looked like a broken cart. I wondered if it had been broken before or after he’d thrown it.

“I’m sure there’s just a key hidden somewhere,” said Apis. “It’s a test of patience.”

“Not a very patient goddess, though, is she,” I said, thinking of how Teuthida’s Voice had murdered someone instead of just trying to manipulate the vote for more political power. “Seems strange.”

“Why wouldn’t it just be a test of strength?” Duran kicked the cart. “It’s dumb. Why would there be a door if we can’t break it down?”

“That would be Ursus, demanding proof of strength,” said Apis. “Or maybe Cabellus.”

“She wants us to be clever, right? Maybe we were meant to find another secret passageway?” I hesitated. “Unless-“

“I’m sure Aemelia knows how to get through. She’s probably waiting to tell us for a dramatic moment.”

I was getting very tired of all of these puzzles. “Right,” I said. “Does anyone else want to throw things? Last chance. Otherwise we’re…” I didn’t want to go back, either. What if I had to speak to Aemelia again? What if she made me deal with those rotten fish? I had to think of something to do.

Apis coughed. “What if you did some sparring? Perhaps you could practice without Aemelia.”

Well, that was a first. I hadn’t ever heard Apis suggest training to fight, but… it was a good idea. It wasn’t like the fighting itself was bad. I just didn’t enjoy Amelia’s company. “I guess I could spar, if anyone was willing.”

Duran volunteered enthusiastically, but surprisingly, Apis volunteered too. I chose Apis first, in the hope that Duran would realize what he was signing up for.

As I squared up, pulling the blade off my hip still in the sheath, he coughed. “What?”

“Isn’t it better if you use it without the sheath?”

I looked at the blade, then over at Apis. He’d rummaged around in the pile of furniture before retrieving a plank of wood from the broken cart. “Sorry,” I said. “You have a plank of wood, and you want me to use an unsheathed blade? Do you want me to hurt you?” I lowered the blade. “Unless- hey, I’m not that bad. Aemelia is just very talented!”

“No, no! I just think you should practice like you intend to go on.”

There was something else there, in the way he said it. Apis seemed a little too enthusiastic as he tightened his grip on the wood. But he seemed very attached to me using the blade, and… well, it couldn’t really hurt that badly, could it?

I would just not hit him. I was good enough to do that, wasn’t I?

It didn’t take long for me to be disabused of that notion. The first swing went well enough, going wide. The second one, the blade collided with the wood, coming to a thudding stop. Then we had to spend a good few seconds yanking it free. On the third swing, it seemed like Apis was almost trying to get in the path of the blade- he stepped closer instead of ducking farther away, only missing being cut because I pulled back at the last minute.

Duran gasped dramatically as I put the blade down and crossed my arms. “What gives?”

Apis gave me a falsely innocent look. “What?”

“You’re trying to get hit! What is this, are you trying to improve my morale or something?”

“I would never! Besides, it’s against Andrena to engage in battle falsely.”

I narrowed my eyes. If that was true, he’d already broken it by tripping Aemelia. “You’re up to something. I should just quit.”

“Please,” he said. “Isn’t it better for me to be good at fighting? What if I get captured again?”

Curse him. He was making good points. I leaned down and snatched the blade back up. “If I think you’re getting hurt on purpose, I’m kicking you off and fighting Duran instead,” I said.

Apis just nodded and squared up again. The first few parries went well enough. I made sure to keep it as light as I could manage, muscles screaming in protest.

As much as I wanted to be annoyed at Aemelia, she had managed to show me a few things. I found it easier to fight, leaning forward and using the blade more effectively. I also found myself doing a few more movements by muscle memory.

Which was why it felt so easy to swipe Apis’s blade out of the way. I couldn’t stop myself as he leaned forward, letting the edge of the blade swipe a clean line down his collarbone.

I yanked the sword back with a yelp as blood beaded up, dotting his skin. “What are you doing?”

He was staring down with a thoughtful look. As I watched, Apis reached forward and touched the blood with a fingertip gently. Then he looked up at me and grinned.

“Oh, not you too,” I said. “Please tell me you aren’t mind-controlled.”

“I’m not!”

I glanced between him and Duran. Duran’s eyes were wide, and for once, he didn’t seem eager to participate. That was fine. I didn’t know what was happening either.

“Don’t you see? This is amazing!”

“I think you need a bandage,” I said. “Have you been hit over the head recently? Did they do something to you when you were captured?”

All of this time, I’d thought Duran was the unstable member of our group. I had been overlooking Apis. Clearly a mistake. He reached out and grabbed my wrist. “You don’t understand! When I was released, that creature told me I was one of them. I’ve been so worried. I thought maybe all this time… but if that blade cut me and I’m still me, I can’t be a ghost!”

I stared at him. “Of course you aren’t a ghost.” I lifted a hand and pointed. “Your eyes don’t glow green. Obviously. Why were you listening to the word of a ghost, anyway?”

“You have no idea how much worry this takes off of my mind.” he said, ignoring me completely. “Duran, did you want to have a turn?”

“Absolutely not.” I didn’t want to know what Duran had up his sleeve. “Everyone, we’re done with sparring for the day. We’re going back and finding something to eat. That’s it.”