Chapter 9:

Answers

Miasma


The air was awkward as we ate in silence. I knew all the questions I had planned to ask, but the atmosphere was too tense that my words went silent. I looked up from the vibrant meal that Fesha had made to meet her eyes. Though I felt nervous to say a thing, the face Fesha made displayed a feeling of comfort, as if she was waiting for me to ask her all the questions I wanted to.

"So... what was that all about?" I asked hesitantly.

"That man, we cannot trust him. He may harbor something dangerous." She spoke with caution. "I cannot be certain now, but I have met the eyes of men who have fallen to wretched deities, and that man borrows a similar gaze." She went on.

I looked at her, probably with a stupid expression on my face. "You're going to have to explain these deities."

She looked at me in awe. "Has thine memories truly been taken to such an extent? Or perhaps thou has come from a different world." She said jokingly. I chuckled nervously, knowing just how spot on she truly was, but that was information that didn't feel safe to reveal yet, even to Fesha.

Fesha composed herself. "There are many gods that govern the aspects of this world, and those who participate in communion with these gods may be granted control over said aspects." She stated clearly. "As for me, the miracles thou have seen me cast belong to the god I worship, a god who once governed the sky."

"Once?" I asked, hoping she would clarify.

Fesha looked up from her food and straight into my eyes. "The gods of these lands are as greedy and headstrong as the humans that worship them. They wageth war with each other just as humans do. My god once ruled the sky alone, but it seemeth another wished to take it, and so, dragons were born to rip the sky from my god's grasp, hence why my miracles are bound to the purpose of felling the dragons."

She peaked my interest. Though I had felt close with Fesha after only a few day, it seems that I am finally getting to her roots. Still, I had many more questions, not just to get to know Fesha, but to understand the world. "So, Tenebris recognized who you worship just from seeing your miracles?"

"Correct." She confirmed. "But that is exactly why I cannot trust him yet. There are many gods, too many to contain knowledge on all of them, yet he kneweth who I worshiped just from my miracle. If he is coveted with the god of dragons, or one who sides with it, he may find reason to kill me."

I interjected. "I'm sure we'll be fine, if he was against your god, wouldn't he have started a fight when we first met?"

"I wouldn't be so sure." She said. Her concern chilled me to the bone. Still, I only had more questions.

"So you couldn't tell what god he's with from whatever he used to kill the animal earlier?" I asked.

"That is where my concern arises." She sighed and looked back at her plate. "It was like there was no miracle at all, nothing was cast. Within an instance, that animal had simply died. Not only that, but as the head of this place, why did we meet him so far from here?"

The thought hadn't crossed my mind, but after hearing Fesha's many worries, I started to become distrustful as well. This feeling had overtaken me and now I was beginning to find even Fesha suspicious. Though she had been friendly with me this entire time, there are many details about her I have yet to know. Was she really on my side?

"Hey, this may be sudden, but how did you end up in Caelum?" I asked after a brief silence.

"Has thou become suspicious of me too? No matter it's only fair." She saw right through me. "Truth be told, just as thine memories have gone missing, mine as well. I can still recall my past, growing up in the walls of Caelum and the people I knew, yet everything about this city's demise has been wiped from my memory." 

" I see." They were the only words I could let out. She seemed concerned about the whole ordeal. I could tell she didn't want me to be suspicious of her, and I also did not want to turn my back on her. Still, I had one more question.

"So why did you tag along with me?" I asked.

She looked at me with faint smile. "Is it wrong to want to share a meal with a stranger?" She paused. "Hah, if only I was truly that kind. The truth is, thine face seemed familiar, and I felt that thou may be a part of the memories that I have lost."

I was dumbfounded. I turned my head toward a half shattered window pane that was sunken into the wall and stared into my dull reflection. Though I knew it was me, it was not the me from my old world. I instinctively knew that I was only borrowing this body. I turned back at Fesha to see her staring back down at her plate, lost in thought as she slowly ate the last of her food.

I knew I had to clear the air. "Alright, we'll try to leave as soon as we can tomorrow. Let's just grab some supplies once we wake up and head out." I said confidently.

Fesha looked at me. "An astounding plan indeed." She said sarcastically.

"Lets just try to avoid any fighting, yeah." I said quickly.

She nodded. After our heavy conversation, we quickly cleaned the area and put out the stove and small lamp fires that have been illuminating the room. We made our way toward our rooms, saying goodnight before we each entered. I crashed onto my bed, tired from today's travels and conversations. I laid on my back and stared through the small hole in my roof. The air above me was tinted blue with the waving orange lights of the fires still lit outside. Many things still plague my mind as I tried to sleep: gods, dragons, miracles, all of it was so fascinating. I had finally gotten a better understanding of this new world. Still, many things still worried me. Though I saw it as just a passing mirage, I still couldn't help but think about our way here, and the darkness at the end of that long corridor. I could swear on my life that something had been watching us.

Miauklys
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