Did She Misspeak, or Something?

Dumbstruck, Camellia stared at the girl before them, jaw on the floor. Damos scratched his head. Lynn’s brow knit tightly.

“There’s a city in the sky?” Lynn whispered.

“Mhm,” the girl nodded. “It’s the ultimate dream of every citizen of Sylvios to make it Skyside.”

“Sky”side? Are you serious?

“It’s the most wonderful place in the world. Much better than here.” She clasped her hands together and gazed off wistfully in the distance. “It’s even said that once you make it up, you’re granted a wish.”

Lynn leaned forward. “And that’s what everyone here is aiming for?”

“Yes. The Trail of Ascension is littered with all sorts of beasts, though. Minions of minor deities and the like. It’s very dangerous.” The girl gestured behind her, where a man with a ghostly elephant trunk swatted away his opponent’s sword, “Hence the training.”

Camellia felt like she was being pranked. The way this girl talked about this supposed city in the sky gave her déja-vu. She couldn’t help but ask, “But why? The city here is so nice, what could possibly be worth it up there?”

The girl looked at her like she was crazy. “You get a wish. Isn’t that reason enough?” Suddenly, her voice went small. “I’m training so I can wish to speak to my deceased brother again.”

Camellia, Damos, and Lynn all caught their breath. Was such a thing actually possible? Their gazes all met.

They had to try.

Maybe, considering what Tethys said about being the weakest… Would the goddess of the sky be powerful enough to do it? To grant our wish to bring her back?

Well, Camellia, cheating death is a tall order, you know. I wouldn’t get your hopes up. But hope is all that’s left, I suppose.

Trying to keep her hopes from getting too high, Camellia asked, “Do you know how far exactly the other goddesses' powers go?”

The girl shook her head violently. “I haven’t completed the Trail before.”

Lynn glanced back at the helpful girl. “One last question — and thank you so much for being so willing to talk to us — when do the Trials begin?”

A puzzled expression emerged on the girl’s face. “Whenever you want? The entrance is just right over there,” she said as she pointed past the training grounds to a tall wooden gate labelled Trail of Ascension.

Camellia was taken aback. Oh. She didn’t misspeak. It’s a literal hiking trail. Weird.

“Do you mean 'when does the window close?’ That would be the day after tomorrow.” She shuffled her feet. “Anyway, I have to get to training today, sorry!” She nodded, then scurried off.

Camellia watched the helpful stranger meet up with a friend and head to an open space, where they both glowed with power. The mousy girl sprouted a giant, bushy spectral tail, whereas her friend ducked her head down to show two huge moose horns.

Guess there’s an aspect for everything.

Her eyes flitted to the tall wooden entryway marking the trailhead. “The ‘Trail’ of Ascension, huh?” she breathed air through her nose in a quick laugh.

“Whenever we want…” Damos muttered, glancing over at Camellia and catching her eye. They both had the same thought.

“Alright, group meeting,” Lynn announced, grabbing Damos and Camellia each by the hand and pulling them off to the side, away from the trickle of trainees entering the grounds.

“Obviously we’re going to be doing that. I don’t even need to ask. The only question is when.”

A fire burned behind Damos’ eyes as he proclaimed, “Right now!”

“Hold on, Damos. We don’t know anything about it,” Lynn protested.

“We know enough. What’s a couple of cronies of the minor deities?” His voice was firm, resolute. “We passed the Trials of Ascension already. We’re twenty times more prepared than any of these losers,” he said as he jabbed his thumb behind him, “and I’d bet everything on that.”

Lynn countered, “There’s no reason to just rush in haphazardly, Damos.” She quietly added, “I don’t want to lose either of you, too.”

Lynn has a point. Without proper precautions, something devastating could happen again. I doubt Camellia or Damos want that to happen. I certainly don’t; I couldn’t bear to watch another scene like that.

Damos stared at his hands in silence.

Camellia broke the pause, “Well, there is one reason, right?” She pointed to the gate. “That thing closes the day after tomorrow, and we have no idea when it will open again.” Putting a closed fist to her chest, right over her heart, she continued, “I’m with Damos. I think we should do it. I feel stronger than ever.”

Lynn’s mouth went tight. “You too, Camellia?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just… Knowing there’s a city up there,” she said as she pulled out her wings, “it just makes me wonder. I have to know.” Remembering how Theio and Erasmus had reacted to her aspect, she quickly dismissed her magic so as not to attract further stares.

“We still have a day to prepare. Can we at least do that much, so we aren’t walking in blindly? We had no clue what the Trials of Ascension were going to bring, and look how that ended up,” Lynn argued. “We cannot afford to be unprepared again.”

Camellia began to panic. “But how are we supposed to prepare? Everyone in this city hates us.”