I Learn The Importance Of History

I wandered on my own, Emira having agreed to let me explore the place.

My head ached with the voices all arguing for a slaughter of the faeries, the stress of not having found Sam yet and worrying about the threat that is The Hollow. I stumbled through bushes and reached a waterfall. I sat on a nearby log, the sound of the clashing water washing away the voices. I sighed in peace, feeling like my worries were carried away.

"Care if I join you?" a soft woman's voice blessed my ears.

"Not at all," I whispered back, my brain all mush and warm.

The person sat next to me with a groan.

"These old knees sure are giving me lots of trouble lately."

"Isn't there some kind of arcane that can help you with that?"

"Oh, I'm sure there is. But I'm more of a 'Do It Yourself' kind of person."

That's- My mind woke up from its slumber, my senses rushing back to me.

"You really are Elyah's mother," I muttered.

The woman froze, blinking multiple times.

"You know my daughter? Where did you meet? When?"

She was almost in my face, holding me by the shoulders the same way she did Yumii.

"Uhh, I, uh..."

"Sorry," Elyah's mom pulled back, playing with her hair, sighing and closing her eyes, "it's just… I haven't seen my baby in so long."

Sweat filled my hands.

"W-When was the last time you saw her?"

"She left eighty years ago, with Yumii, who was tasked with protecting her. She was just a child back then, barely in her thirties."

Oh…

"Why did she leave? Aren't you all safe here?"

"...That’s a long story. And according to you, not as much as we thought," the woman smiled. "I'm Ujal, by the way."

I shook her waiting hand.

"I'm Zoe."

"Not Echis?"

"Right now, Echis is someone else."

"… I see."

We sat in silence for a while, enjoying the warm breeze, the soft darkened light of the sun and the comfort of the nearby waterfall's regular splash.

"I met your daughter in the Cerberus Islands, as slaves, when I was barely a teenager."

Ujal turned to look me in the eyes, but I didn't maintain eye contact for long. I fidgeted with my tunic.

"We helped each other survive, to become mercenaries and be set free. All I knew of her life was that she was travelling with a friend, and that they were onto something important. She never told me what happened in between their search and the time we met. I'm guessing she didn't know herself, but she was never really talkative."

She chuckled, a frown still on her face.

"Yes, Elyah always kept her cards close to her chest…” she cleared her throat, wiping a tear from her eye. "So you became a mercenary then?"

"Yes…" I nodded, hesitating to continue.

"But…" encouraged Ujal.

"Well," I sighed, running my hands through my hair again and again. "I became a mercenary to help my community: I could bring back items, food, money to them, but I also wanted to make them all feel safe. I wanted my home to be a haven."

"Quite ambitious, and commendable."

I winced, I don't know about that.

"Cerberus Islands aren't… friendly. People are traded, violated and killed daily. I… I wanted to change that. I started a movement, a Revolution, and it quickly got way bigger than I was. My friends tried to help me, but I didn't control it… I couldn't. I was too weak."

I looked at the waterfall. I could not hear the sound of the bird chirps anymore. There was no distraction from my thoughts.

"...I got Elyah killed."

There, the truth is finally out. I looked down, avoiding looking at Ujal at all costs.

The log shook as the mother started trembling, shoving her face in her hands. My heart split in half. I'm so sorry. I began standing up.

"I-I'm sorry, I need to go."

Ujal held my arm tightly. I tried to pull away and was instead dragged straight into the heartbroken woman’s embrace.

"Shh, my child…" sobbed Ujal, caressing my head, tears running down her cheeks, "it's not your fault."

"You weren't there! It is my fault… Elyah died because of my rebellion, my best friend was killed and my husband was abducted because I poked my nose where I shouldn't have, my father sacrificed himself to save me, Yumii forgot about all of you… all of it is my fault!... I'm so sorry…"

I sobbed and wailed. The woman next to me stayed quiet, massaging my back. I’m such a mess…

“My sweet, innocent child left…” she bit her lip. “Because of something our elders foretold long ago.”

A bitter chuckle slipped out of her.

“Lords, was she mighty at that age already. It was clear to us that her fate lay elsewhere, and that greatness awaited her. But as powerful as she was, she was equally inexperienced… naive. She was too young when… when I-I sent her away. She wasn’t supposed to-to… to d-die.”

Ulaj broke down, burying her face in her hands, shaking uncontrollably. The two of us stayed there for a while, finding comfort in each other as we grieved.

"I should go find Yumii," I got back up on my feet.

I glanced at Ujal, who stared quietly at the waterfall, tears carving her cheeks.

"...If the Angels end up attacking this place… please, don't stay and die. Get out of here."

I sought Yumii through multiple buildings, faeries in each of them telling me some other place to look for her. I eventually ended up in front of a two-story house embedded in a stone wall, moss growing all over the facade.

I came in, a smell of old wood, dust and warm milk overwhelming me. The place was huge, with a long dinner table able to fit twenty people stretching in the living room by a fireplace, long handmade carpets covering the wooden floor. The walls were sometimes fit around a piece of stone boulder, the house appearing to lean into the cave it was built into. I climbed the stairs, entering the first door and walking into a big open room with bookshelves stretching from floor to ceiling. I found her reading a book with an elder in big chairs with thick cushions. Yumii and the old lady were absorbed in their reading.

I sat down in another chair, feeling consumed by it. I could sleep forever in this thing, I rubbed my red eyes.

"You must be Echis."

"Yes, madam," I straightened up, "apologies for barging in, I was told Yumii was here."

"Take it easy," waved the woman, swinging in her rocking chair. "Want some tea? Coffee?"

"I'll have a coffee, if that's alright with you."

"Mhm. Help yourself."

I grabbed the coffee pot from the small glass table and poured myself a drink in one of the many cups that were available. Bottoms-up. I downed the drink, gurgling on the cold liquid, almost spitting it out.

It's disgusting! I forced myself to swallow, coughing and clearing my throat. I put the glass down.

"Have more if you want," knowingly smiled the old woman.

"No, thank you," I smiled back. I just killed all my taste buds. "What is this place?"

The lady sighed, closed her book and put it on her lap, looking me in the eyes. Does everyone have green eyes around here?

"Three members of the clan, the oldest, are assigned the task of memory keeping. You cannot understand why if you don’t know that when a faery writes down an event she lived and later uses for arcane, the written event is erased entirely.”

I glanced at my friend next to me. I don’t write… but that sounds like it sucks.

“However, if written by others, only the faery's name is erased."

Yumii closed her book as well, the title card appearing to my eyes. 'Yumii' was all that was written. I wonder what’s in there. Yumii was frozen in her spot, staring at the fireplace.

"What about the books that have no names, how does that happen?"

I pointed to the many books that were stacked on the shelves near us.

"Take one, and find out for yourself."

I picked one out and went through a few lines.

"There's no mention at all of who this book was written about…”

Wait… I turned to the librarian.

“W-wait… So-so all of these books…” I waved my finger around the entire room. “They’re all about faeries whose memories were wiped, aren't they?"

The old woman stayed quiet, looking at me with tired, sad eyes, placing her index on her temple and another finger on her lips. What burden, to carry their clan's entire history. I carefully put the book back and took a step back. There are more nameless books in the library than named ones. The thought pinched my heart.

"You carry great darkness," said the old lady, pointing at the shadow at my feet. I stepped back. What?! How does she know about this?

"You should always keep in mind: you're never alone, even in the darkest of nights."

Right… What's that supposed to mean?

Crashing noise came from outside the house. Are they partying out there? I sent a look at the unbothered woman and ventured back to the hall. I was on the last steps when I heard the screaming. It was raw, agonising, and loud. My blood curled and froze in my veins as I summoned the black sword on instinct. They're all dying out there! A firm hand held my arm back.

"This way, dear."

The lady guided both Yumii and me to a wall deeper inside her house. Blue waves formed around her hands, releasing the same kind of energy Yumii does when she uses the arcane. Again, not as crushing as Yumii's…

"Come with us!" Yumii begged the librarian.

"Sorry honey, my knees aren't as good as they used to be. I'll just slow you down."

My eyes widened, I stepped forward to reach out. It can’t be! The woman stared me down. I stopped moving with a sigh.

"Then use the arc-”

"I’ve made my choice, Yumii. Leave, and save yourselves."

Why is this family line so damn noble?! I put my hand on Yumii’s shoulder, trying to pull her away. She smacked it off, clenching her fists. Her hair turned bright red, arcane circling around her.

"No! I've had enough losses! Enough deaths! Come with us, Raja! Our people need you!!"

A strong wind burst blasted us backwards into the dark tunnel, Elyah’s grandma’s voice echoing.

"Run, fools… They'll never take our history away from us."

The tunnel closed, plunging us into the dark. This couldn’t have gone any freaking better!