Fan This Flame

Excitement flowed through the caravan faster than the tiny specks of light that drifted beside them. Voice carriers were dispersed and activated so that all could hear. Dwellings and shelters were assembled as swiftly as possible so that all could be ready for the songstress’s song.

Sayane stood at the edge of the crowd waiting for Azag to return. As she waited, she continued to hum to herself to warm her voice. Vibrations sent awakening to tired vocal chords. Blood pumped into muscles that would soon pull and tense to articulate sound. Nervous caution scraped along the edges of her mind but she pushed them aside as best she could.

Soft clicks of metal on stone came from behind, telling her that Azag was approaching. A familiar ring-shaped contraction was tucked under his arm. The circular shape stood out to Sayane more than before, and she found herself thinking about the Rings that held them, and the spherical shapes that currently surrounded them. Beyond that, she thought about the haunting, eternal flames of the Ether, and the streaks of light hiding just below the stone surfaces all around them.

Azag undid the clasps and brackets of the instrument, slowly laying each piece into place as deep, slow breaths echoed from within his mask. Subtle trembles in Sayane’s shoulders and hands whispered hints of her nerves, and Azag noticed.

“What can I do to help you?” he asked between labored breaths.

Sayane reached out to feel his mask as she forced a smile.

“Could you hold the voice carrier, please?” she replied.

His hand found hers and pressed it softly against the cold metal that covered his face.

“I can do that.”

Can-Mo appeared from the crowd, holding their personal voice carriers.

“I have Saxum, Anahita, and Erosc listening. I figured they’d enjoy the music as well,” Can-Mo said.

Sayane found another drop of comfort in knowing their friends were there listening with them even though they were far away.

“Friends!” Sayane cheered into the crystal as Can-Mo passed it to her.

“Good evening, gorgeous,” Anahita purred.

“Great Songstress, I am happy to hear your voice. I have many elders with me, and they are thrilled to hear more song,” Saxum said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Beautiful songstress, how is your strength?” Erosc asked.

“I’m okay. I think I’ll be fine. This is just a song. Nothing grand!” Sayane laughed.

“How is it with Xentros?” she asked.

A deep, maliciously wild laugh echoed from Erosc’s sound.

“I am well, Great Songstress Supreme! My children make me proud as we continue to slay the heretics who do not embrace the new light of your truth. Blood stains our blades from taking limbs as ornamentation!” Xentros bellowed with maniacal glee.

Sayane stammered as she struggled to find anything appropriate to say.

“T-that’s… good… thank you for… all your hard work…?” she shrugged to Azag and Can-Mo.

There was a pause, and Sayane could hear Xentros’s heavy footfall fading in the background.

“He is a truly insane man, but he is still fearsome, even with one arm,” Erosc sighed.

“Well, have fun with that,” Azag replied.

Small dots of light began to shine out through the resting crowd, sending shimmers flowing towards Sayane like a river of stars. Shelters were assembled. Mats were laid onto the ground. Sighs of relief mixed with grunts of weariness as the waves of bodies settled onto the ground. Sayane listened to the sounds of their voices as she pressed her hands to her diaphragm and chest.

Rest-time preparations were complete, and thousands of ears now eagerly waited to hear what the songstress was about to perform. Color and flickering brightness moved along the cavern walls in reflective pulses of cyan, green, and magenta.

Can-Mo helped Azag to the ground then settled himself. Attis patted Sayane’s leg.

“Hype time?” Sayane smiled.

“Do you need more time for preparing lyrics?” Attis asked.

Sayane shrugged and smirked as she finished humming.

“I’ll be okay,” she replied as Azag picked up the main voice carrier.

Familiar warmth settled into her throat. She took a sip of water and felt its cool flow coating every tired muscle as she swallowed.

A faint pull radiated in her hips and shoulders, as though her body was bracing for more exertion. She prayed that this wouldn’t hurt. For the first time in a very long time, Sayane found herself almost not wanting to sing. The realization sat with her for a second, and she felt it was more that she was afraid to sing. Not afraid of performing, or of being in front of a crowd, or of failing, but afraid of hurting.

Another soft spasm in her stomach told her the fear was real, but she pushed it aside and hoped that everything would be okay. One last glance to her friends gave her the comfort she needed, and with that, Sayane closed her eyes and stepped into the ring of the sacred instrument.

Immediately, golden light burst out and upwards as the symphony of glowing strings snaked their way onto her body like vines. Many in the crowd gasped in wonder and Sayane could see multitudes lean forward for a better look.

All around them, the flow of the tiny glowing specks slowed, until the currents of light were all but stopped. Their color shifted to match the golden yellow, and soon the vast darkened cavern was softly illuminated by millions of miniature suns.

Attis jumped onto Azag’s shoulder and the voice carrier’s cerulean light covered half of him in blue as he spoke.

“Friends. We are almost there! We have endured much, but tomorrow, we will reach Haven!” he shouted.

Echoes sounded out as his voice projected from the myriad voice carriers within the crowd and onto the crystal walls.

“But tonight, we need to rest. Rejoice in the safety around you and find comfort in these foreign halls. For soon, they will not be foreign. Soon, they will be home. Tomorrow, we build our future. Tonight, we rest! Listen to the sacred song of Sayane The Songstress Supreme, and may rest find you in your dreams. Good night to you all.”

His message wasn’t just for those laying before them. Sayane felt the same with her song. All across the realm, beings would be tuning in to hear the broadcast. She hoped that whoever was listening, no matter where they were, could find comfort.

Sayane closed her eyes and inhaled.

Sweating palms relaxed.

Shaking fingers calmed.

Bands of light bent and extended, and the music began.

Sayane thought of Azag’s breathing and footsteps. Strums of stringed chords mixed with solitary, soothing chimes. The pace was slow. Calm.

She thought of the flickers of tiny light that floated around them. One by itself was nothing more than a dot. But when thousands gathered, they made a wave of glittering wonder.

Her palm rotated, sending higher pitched flutters into the composition. To her relief, nothing hurt yet. When she was ready, her lips parted.

“I am holding something fragile

It’s smaller than I hoped it would be.”

The cave responded to her voice by instantly shifting on itself to be nearer to her. Every gigantic strand of flowing crystal swayed in her direction. The cavernous ceiling seemed to lower. Every glowing speck of light swayed in cadence with the music as they slowly drifted towards the caravan.

“But I know it will bloom and spread

Giving life to what was dead

So hear my voice and always remember-”

Sayane braced. This next line was as much for her as it was for the world. As much as she didn’t want to feel it, her body was weak. Even though she wasn’t in pain from singing, she still felt like fabric that had been frayed. Hope and joy were strong, but whatever exhaustion was in her bones was just as strong.

“Hold to hope and tend to those embers.”

The waves of glowing dust reached them and began to settle within the crowd. When the tiny orbs reached a body, their light suddenly expanded outwards and coated whoever they touched. Sayane watched as dozens were bathed in glowing peace, and she felt a shift in the air. Uncertain exhaustion began to fade, and a sense of calmness seeped into the crowd. Relief pushed Sayane’s cheeks upwards and she found herself smiling as the release moved into her own body.

For so long, she’d been focused on singing for others. But in that moment, she remembered she needed to sing for herself as well. If she didn’t nurture herself as well, she’d eventually give out. So she pulled one hand in, sending a rush of gathering speed into the song as she pressed her fingertips to her heart.

“It was that faint whisper in the wind

That gave me safety

When I prayed for this to end.

It may be hard to see, but I know

It’s something to believe in

Even if it’s weakened.”

Far away, remnant notes of mystical song drifted through the ancient forest where Anahita was listening with other Akna. Vines swayed in reverence as the sounds moved through the foliage like wind.

At the edge of the Third Ring, Saxum watched the jagged, mournful shards of lost souls lower from their piercing peaks. He sat down alone and let Sayane’s voice give him a moment of happiness amidst the sorrow he felt as he walked among the cemetery of Psephos whose bodies were never laid to rest.

Out at the edges of a distant battlefield, Erosc drank a sip of strong intoxicants as he allowed Xentros and the other former Silencers to kneel in worship to the Songstress Supreme’s voice.

And deep in the lower levels of her lonely tower, a bloodied, half-dead Vraxlyn listened to nearly imperceptible whispers that seemingly drifted out from the tower itself. Something felt familiar in the sound and voice. Vraxlyn flinched in fear as pulses of light strobed softly from the walls and down to her body. She wanted to pull away, but she was too weak. The light reached her, and she screamed out in preparation for pain. Instead, to her great confusion, she felt warm. A voice echoed out, and she swore she knew it.

Back in the cave, half of the caravan was asleep.

Azag was resolute in his task, still holding the voice carrier in place for Sayane, even as Attis and Can-Mo began to doze away.

“Nothing will ever be the same

All we can do is fan this flame.

Good night and love to all of you

Here’s to the joy that still holds true.

If you hear my voice, always remember

Hold to hope and tend to those embers.”

More and more bodies were slowly lowering themselves into the welcome embrace of deep, restful slumber. Tiny beacons of respite landed on weary shoulders and matted fur. One by one, fear loosened its grip. Heads laid onto stone as eyelids closed and minds relinquished themselves to the pleasantness of the lullaby.

Sayane herself felt her eyes getting heavy. A speck of light moved to her chest, and she braced for the sensation. When it met her skin, it sank below the surface and sent the expected wave of gold across her body. Every nerve sighed in relaxation as it traversed the curves of her form, and she found herself lowering into a haze.

Azag rose as swiftly and gracefully as possible while still holding the voice carrier in place. A glowing orb tried to land on him and he batted it away.

“Not yet,” he sighed.

Yawns almost interrupted the music, as Sayane began to struggle to keep her arms raised. Sturdy grip moved around her waist and she looked up to see Azag there, holding her. Gold flowed from her body to his, causing his eyes to flicker yellow from behind their mask.

“Come meet me in my dreams?” Sayane whispered.

“Of course,” he replied as the music began to fade.

Sayane closed her eyes and slowly sat onto the ground. Azag placed the voice carrier beside her as he cradled her in place. Her drowsy fingers continued to sway as she sent out the final notes.

“If you ever tire when you roam

Just know that you will always have a home.

Until then, hear my voice, always remember

Hold to hope and tend to those embers.

Hold to hope and tend to those embers.”

His enormous hands lowered her head to the floor and the golden light began to fade. Feeling his touch brushing her hair from her face sent another wave of comfort through her body, and Sayane finally allowed herself to succumb to sleep. Just as she faded into the gentle dark, she reached for him.

“One more sunrise?” Sayane asked.

Azag nodded as he laid a cot down beside her and they both crawled onto it.

“Then another, then another,” he replied.

His glowing eyes were the last thing Sayane saw as she fell asleep. Consciousness drifted away along with the lingering notes that were sounding out from the crystal corridor. Gold vanished, and only the haunting blue and green sparkles remained. Tranquility flowed through the dreaming caravan and for a brief moment, everything was calm. Thousands of hopes, dreams, and visions lay cloistered together. Tomorrow they would begin to build their new home. But at that moment, their only task was to rest.