Vol. IV Chapter X: The Threads of Fate

The night lay cool over the plains. 

The wind still carried the faint stench of smoke from Refalesh’s ruins, though the village was long behind them.

Their party moved in silence across the hardened earth, Lucius at the front, each step quicker than the last, driven by the certainty that Melissa was still alive.

Eucho, restored enough by Meiruna’s magic to guide them, kept his eyes low, reading the tracks with unwavering focus. 

Behind him, Tairaku and Meiruna marched without a word, while Liviana and Fin scanned the dunes with sharp gazes.

Glizzy trudged in the rear, arms crossed, muttering complaints as she stumbled over rocks.

“Nice for you lot that some of you can see in the dark. Goblins are day creatures, y’know. I’ve got stones in my shoes every five steps…”

She tripped again.

“Ouch! That one was huge!”

“A short rest might not be a bad idea,” Liviana murmured, her eyes gliding over the horizon. 

“We’re making good progress anyway and should catch up with her soon.”

Lucius opened his mouth to answer, but then... a faint whistle sliced through the night, and a radiant circle of golden light flared to life directly ahead.

The party fell back, weapons raised, spells ready.

Before they could act, a figure stepped out of the glow: a slender man in pale robes, hair silver as moonlight, a staff in his hand coiled by two living serpents.

Lucius’ heart lurched.

“…Hermes!?”

Eucho staggered back, sensing the weight of divinity pressing on them.

“Ara’fal andu…” he whispered in reverence.

The god raised one hand calmly, disarming their hostility before it could ignite.

“Be at ease. I didn’t come to harm you.”

Lucius stepped forward, voice tense.

“Then why are you here? …Is it about Melissa?”

Hermes’ eyes flickered eastward.

“Don’t worry. She lives, and she’s stronger than Dionysus ever imagined. But she walks a path that leads straight into the heart of darkness. Even she cannot stand alone against what will soon be unleashed in this land.”

He closed his eyes briefly, weighing his words.

“The Yashar have stumbled upon… a source. Or perhaps, the source has found them. A darkness that does not belong to this world. And, regrettably, you had a hand in it.”

Lucius froze.

“What do you mean…?”

Hermes’ voice was calm, but final.

“You should have chosen your last patron more carefully. Not every god treats mortals with the same care I do. But I think you’ve already realized that, haven’t you?”

Lucius swallowed hard, realization dawned on him.

“You mean… Hecate. The book I retrieved for her…”

“…was never meant to reach her hands,” Hermes finished, his tone heavy. 

“She defied Zeus’ will while playing her own game.”

Lucius’ stomach tightened.

“What does she want with it? She never told me...”

Hermes’ face darkened, the playfulness fading from his features.

“The book is a key. In this world it carries the same power that I possess: the power to open gates between realms.”

A cold shiver passed through the party.

“Hecate herself cannot wield it, the laws of this world deny her. But if she finds a vessel, a mortal with will strong enough, they could open the gate in her stead. And what passes through will drown this land in shadow.”

Lucius’ voice trembled.

“Then why me? Why don’t you stop her yourself? You’re a god.”

Hermes lowered his head, a flicker of regret in his eyes.

“Even gods are bound by the Threads of Fate. We cannot use nor destroy the book. If I used it, or if Hecate did, the balance would shatter, and forces would rise that even we could not fight. But mortals…”

He paused, voice resolute.

“…mortals still have free will.”

Lucius swallowed, unease tightening in his chest.

“I… don’t think I understand.”

Hermes’ gaze lingered on him, calm yet unyielding.

“We gods are the knots, Lucius. Once tied, we cannot be undone. Mortals, though… you are the threads between. Still pliant, still unfastened. The Moirai bind you, yes, but your strand may twist, cross, or fray in ways even they cannot foresee. That is your curse… and your freedom.”

The truth pressed down on Lucius like lead.

“That is why it must be you,” Hermes said firmly.

“The book must be destroyed, before the Yashari use it. Time runs thin. If you fail, this world will fall to grief and ruin.”

Hermes lifted the caduceus, the serpents coiling restlessly as if echoing his words.

Silence stretched and the wind carried only the faint stench of ash.

Then Liviana clapped Lucius’ shoulder, grinning broadly.

“Well, guess it can’t be helped! Looks like we’ll have to save Melissa and the world!”

Lucius blinked, startled, then saw the fire in her eyes, and in the others’. 

He nodded, first to them, then to Hermes.

“…Alright.”

Hermes closed his eyes, almost touched by the sight, before turning to leave.

But before he could vanish, Glizzy shoved herself in front of him, frowning.

“Hold it! You’re really a god? Like… the real deal?” 

She squinted up at him. 

“Then prove it! C’mon, just whip up a bag of gold for me!”

“Glizzy…” Meiruna groaned, rubbing her forehead.

But Hermes only chuckled softly.

“Ah, a goblin, right? You remind me of the Kobaloi from my own realm. They kept poor Heracles quite busy. Who knows, perhaps one day your name and that of your companions will be sung like those of the great heroes too.”

Glizzy’s eyes sparkled with delight, but Hermes’ expression softened, almost fatherly.

“But take some advice, little sister of jest. Not every wish for gold ends well. Guard the treasures you already hold."

She pouted, crossing her arms. 

“Tch. Worth a shot…”

Hermes raised his staff and the golden portal reappeared. 

Lucius felt a pang of conflicting gratitude and doubt.

“I never thanked you… for saving us back then.”

The god lingered, half-turned within the glow, his gaze faraway.

“Thanks are smoke in the wind, Lucius. Follow your fate. Restore the balance I disturbed that day. That will be thanks enough.”

And with that, he stepped into the light, the circle closed with a whisper, and silence reclaimed the plain.

“…Did we just get sent on a divine quest?” Finderwyn muttered.

Tairaku crossed his arms, calm as ever.

“Seems like it. When we return to Animshin, we’ll certainly have stories to tell. Right, sis?”

Meiruna, still shaken, managed a faint smiling nod at her brother.

Lucius turned to face his party, determination hardening in his eyes.

“Well, you’ve heard it yourselves. That’s what we’re up against.”

But he didn’t need to ask, their resolve was already clear.

And so they continued eastward, unaware that shadows were already stirring, and Melissa would be the first to meet their gaze.