Chapter 6: Down the Rabbit Hole

The white mist thickened the further Alex and Ezia sprinted through the forest path. It had widened since they started their pursuit. The procession of trees that marched alongside them as they ran retreated from the forest path. At first, Alex chalked it up to how the forest paths were paved. More room meant more clear shots if the Verconis family were into hunting. That would be normal. But, because of her experience as a Pathfinder, it was only natural that the mist’s influence strengthened the closer you got to its seam. In the Underworld, seams could happen naturally just because of the nature of the world below. The Sea spilled in and everything got messy. You start smelling with your eyes, hearing with your nose, and tasting with your ears. What you understood about your surroundings stopped meaning anything at all.

Alex slid to a stop. Dust flew into the air and instead of falling to the ground, it hitched a ride on the layer of mist drifting through the air. It blew toward the tree line before vanishing into the shadows of the forest beyond. A faint gust of wind ruffled the leaves as it passed by.

Even in the midst of a mistswell, Alex never thought she’d heard that noise again. It had been so long since she saw a tree bearing leaves. The Underworld was littered with constant reminders of what came before. Leafless trees, abandoned buildings. If she wasn’t on the job, she might take the time to sightsee.

“Why did we stop, Lady Alex?” Ezia stopped just a few steps behind her.

“There,” Alex said, pointing off the path toward the side.

A cabin sat old and dilapidated. The wood that constructed it had seen better days, falling victim to nature. Rain bombarded the wood and the wet ground buckled under the shed’s weight. It was lopsided. It wasn’t quite sinking into the ground, but given more time, the foundation would cave in. A sniff of the air revealed the faint scent of mold. However, the most crucial part of the stop sat at the cabin’s porch.

A bowl of soup.

Nico had been here.

Alex clicked her tongue. “He didn’t even wrap it.”

“Excuse me?” Ezia said, moving toward the cabin.

“Leaving perfectly good food out like this? I mean— ” She stopped short. Her eyes widened.

“Lady Alex?”

“Shit.”

Alex saw it.

The thinning trail flowing from the cabin’s open mouth to the path ahead. It was thin, almost too thin to perceive. It must have been a few hours old. The mystery of the mistswell had been solved before Alex even had time to ask the question.

“Ezia, do you see that?” Alex traced her finger from the cabin to the widening path ahead.

Ezia narrowed her eyes. “Yes, I do. It’s thin, but…”

“You’ve gotta go back.”

“What?”

“You heard me. You have to go back.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There’s something called a remnant on the island.”

“A remnant?” Ezia’s hand hovered over her sword’s hilt.

“Nasty things that cause mistswells. You run into one, it’s over,” Alex said, taking command regardless of Ezia’s status. “Now, listen to me and head back.”

“My brother is at stake here. I can’t simply ignore this.” Ezia narrowed her eyes.

“I won’t waste time arguing with you.” Alex walked forward, turning her back on Ezia. “If you follow me, then it’s not my responsibility what happens to you.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Alex’s heart sank. It was the right thing to say - if Ezia didn’t heed her advice or her commands, then it was her choice to do so. If she had a verbal spat with Ezia, emotions might flare and the noble girl might charge in recklessly and get killed. If she tried to stop her with force, she might win, but that wasted time and risked something else happening to Nico. It was her only option.

“I’m running ahead.” Alex bit her lip.

Liz was back there, waiting at the gate for Nico to come home. With a remnant in the mix, there was no reason to tread lightly. As a Pathfinder, it was her duty to see the job done. Whether she was in the Overworld or Underworld, it didn’t matter, her job didn’t change.

“Then we shouldn’t dally any further.” Ezia breathed deep and ripped her sword from the sheath.

Then, Ezia began to weave an invisible orchestra. Her sword moved as a baton, the wind at her beck and call. Her feet lifted ever so slightly off of the ground. Alex expected her breath to be stripped away as a price for the craft. Ezia wasn’t breathless or gasping for air. Instead, she levitated forward, standing at her side.

Alex whistled. “I underestimated you, Princess.”

“Princess?” Ezia narrowed her eyes.

“Nothing.” Alex shook her head. “Well, I’m a bit of a brute compared to you, so don’t expect anything fancy.”

Alex stepped forward. Her foot dug into the dirt. Another step. Her second, her heel floated just an inch off the ground. A ripple traced out from the heel. It flowed through the ground, through the weakened foundation of the cabin.

Alex’s muscles tensed. They tightened, pulling with each step, each motion.

The third step.

Crack.

The cabin shifted from its foundation.

The bowl clattered to the ground.

Ezia flinched.

Alex couldn’t see her anymore.

Given the Artisan girl’s display, she could catch up in no time.

She wasn’t worried about her. The only thing she was worried about was finding Nico. Not only for Ezia’s sake, but Liz’s.

The world blurred. The path widened. There was no risk of flying off the side of the island, no risk of having to course correct. Collateral damage wasn’t a concern. No one lived out here.

Another step.

Unseen water rippled outward.

Alex’s body acclimated to the feel of the ‘Sea’. Even as the waves pushed against her, pulled her back, threatened to drown her — she pushed forward relentlessly. Exerting herself this much was second nature. An Artisan’s body, as well as their life, was in itself a work of art. Each experience was unique to them. Even something as visceral as the scars of conjuring a flame, or a moment one is left breathless in their attempt to weave the air itself.

“Lady Alex!” Ezia called out from behind her.

“Oh, you caught up!” Alex glanced back at Ezia. “You’ve got some real talent as an Artisan!”

Alex beat the ground with her feet to maintain her speed. Each impact made a crater, littering the ground with dirt and soil. In contrast, Ezia lightly stepped off the ground - the air whisking her forward with controlled space.

“Thank you!” Ezia said. “But, you’ve surprised me! You were right, I did think you were a brute! I apologize!”

“Thanks?” Alex frowned. She called herself one, but hearing someone else utter it felt more like an insult. Afterward, she looked forward.

A familiar scent filled the air. The thinning, dark trail continued to cut through the mist. The dirt path faded into stonework. A stone staircase moved up and away from the ground, giving way to the shadow of a shrine cast against the light of the twin moons. Alex pressed her foot into the ground, crushing the stonework as she came to a stop. She apologized under her breath, as if anyone could hear her.

“Well, this is a surprise,” Alex said.

A fierce wind blew, forcing Alex’s white hair to fall over her shoulders.

“What is this?” Ezia asked as she stood shoulder to shoulder with Alex.

“You’re really very noisy, you know that?” A calm voice that Alex didn’t recognize.

The feminine figure was distorted by the mist. However, the ‘ripples’ that coursed through the air were very real and very apparent. She was seated on the base of the steps. A long, blue and gold robe dragged along the ground. On her lap sat a boy about two or three years younger than Alex. The dark-haired boy had to be Nico.

“Is that him, Ezia?” Alex said.

“Yes, that’s my younger brother!” Ezia pointed her sword at the woman. “Unhand him, creature!”

“Why?” The feminine creature said, tilting her head. “He is safe, as you can see. When he wakes, he will return home.”

“I’ll not listen to the words of a…” She narrowed her eyes, the grip on her sword loosening. “What did you call them, Lady Alex?”

“She’s not a Remnant.” Alex stated plainly.

“What?” Ezia blinked.

“She’s an eidolon and, if I had to guess, is that shrine your home?” Alex looked up toward the shrine.

“You got it in one.” The eidolon grinned. “Good guess.”

Alex sighed, shaking her head.

Ezia glanced at the unconscious Nico, to the eidolon, then to Alex. “Why are you so relaxed? This ‘eidolon’ still has my brother!”

“She’s not going to hurt him,” Alex said.

“How do you know that?”

“Pathfinder’s intuition.”

“Intuition…?” Ezia tried to parse Alex’s words. “What nonsense is that?”

“Ezia, do you know anything about what an eidolon is?”

“Well…” The noble placed a hand to her chin. “But, it doesn’t matter, my brother is--”

“Perfectly fine.” Alex pointed. “If the eidolon broad over there wanted to kill him, then that’d be a corpse. He’s still alive. Trust me.”

“Broad?” The eidolon woman tilted her head. “That’s a new one.”

Ezia pinched the bridge of her nose. The conversation was probably moving too fast for her.

The eidolon moved, and the mist with her. It parted as the stranger carried Nico in her arms. Her robe pulled along the ground almost as if it were a size too large. Horns poked out from her forehead, giving her stature another head of height. Her hair unfurled at her neck. Then, it moved.

“Are those snakes?” Alex blinked.

“Oh, yes, they are.” The eidolon chuckled. “They won’t bite, I promise.”

“Got it.” Alex rested her head in her hand.

Ezia’s grip tightened on her blade.

“Put it down, Ezia.” Alex grabbed the fuller of the sword and pressed down. “The remnant isn’t here, is it, Ms. Eidolon?”

“Remnant?” ‘Ms. Eidolon’ pursed her lips. “Oh, the lost one. No, it went over the side of the island.”

A remnant was here. Another answer as to why Alex and the other Pathfinders were hired. Now the next question was if her being hired was a coincidence or not. Remnants finding themselves in the Overworld was already a rarity. Ezia didn’t know a thing about them, and she seemed honest.

“Ezia, have you seen anything like that trail recently around your manor?”

“No.” Ezia shook her head. “This is the first I’m seeing it.”

“And, Ms. Eidolon.”

“Rinzai, if you would,” she said.

“Rinzai, then.” Alex frowned. “Is this the only ‘lost one’ you’ve seen?”

She nodded.

“So, this seems rather recent.” Alex furrowed her brow, looking to Ezia as she walked toward her brother. “Well, this got a lot more complicated.”

“I’m so happy you’re alright,” Ezia said, a hand caressing Nico’s cheek.

“He’s fine. There’s no need to worry since he was under my care.” Rinzai grinned.

“Now you can unhand him.” Ezia placed a hand on Nico’s shoulder. “Your job is done, creature.”

“Creature? Really now?” Rinzai rolled her eyes. “How irreverent.”

Alex watched the two fight. Then, a flash of light. A green light off in the midst of the thinning fog. A familiar noise. The faint droning of steel. Then, a distinct, rusted whirr. It sounded like a turbine twisting.

“I hear something.” Alex raced past the shrine’s stone stairs, moving into the weeds and past the distorted trees.

“What?” Ezia said, frowning. “Stay here with my brother!”

“Don’t need to tell me twice.”

Alex pushed away the weeds, branches and shrubs as she pushed forward. Once she got to the island’s edge, she peered over the side. Beneath the isle, just a drop from the shrine, the familiar sight of a skyskimmer. Its thin body with four large, protruding wings stuck out like a sore thumb even at night. The spinning propeller at the tip of each wing shook the vessel, causing it to screech and whirr. It was a typical problem in older models. People worked with what they had, and many weren’t fortunate enough to get their hands on a skyfaring vessel at all.

More interesting than the skyskimmer was the blue light illuminating the deck. Alex fixed her eyes on the flame. The Sea pushed on her as she strained her sight. Then, she pushed forward, the ‘waves’ fighting her. Then, her body stood still, her eyes focused on the vessel. She leaped from the isle. The air didn’t register. The only thing she felt was the push and pull of the Sea’s unseen waves. She got closer and closer still to the skyskimmer.

The flickering flames illuminated the figure.

It wasn’t a torch nor a lantern.

It was humanoid.

It stood, its arms covered in armor bearing engravings from a bygone era that she had never known. Pauldrons that jutted out, decorated with scars and silver inlay. Its hands moved, four fingers and a thumb on each — but no skin on the arms — instead they were interconnected with a flame of the same color. There was no skin on the torso, or the knees. It was all flames of azure.

Then, the figure turned its head — a skull made of a pristine silver. Two blistering flames. Its eyes.

It wasn’t looking at the island, nor the shrine, but directly at Alex, who was falling through both air and Sea.

It noticed her.

Alex snapped back.

She wasn’t in the air, descending onto the Skyskimmer. She was standing, two feet on the ground. Alex gasped, fighting for air.

“Lady Alex, are you alright?” Ezia kept Alex in place, stopping her from plummeting to the sky below.

Alex fought for her breath.

“I’m fine.” Alex shook her head. She looked back at the shadow of the skyskimmer as it vanished beyond the clouds. She clicked her tongue, then placed a hand on Ezia’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got some bad news.”